Labour Condemn appauling employment conditions on Irish Ferries

national | worker & community struggles and protests | press release

Friday July 15, 2005 21:31

by LY Member - Labour

www.labour.ie

Ministers must address outrageous conditions for Irish Ferries staff
Issued : Friday 15 July, 2005
Statement by Tommy Broughan TD
Spokesperson on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and Assistant Whip

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Ministers must address outrageous conditions for Irish Ferries staff
Issued : Friday 15 July, 2005
Statement by Tommy Broughan TD
Spokesperson on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and Assistant Whip

Last night’s further revelations on Prime Time about the atrocious levels of pay and working conditions on board the Irish Ferries vessel the MV Normandy indicate the disastrous effects of the outsourcing of labour on the workers involved and on employment practices across the whole maritime sector.

The programme highlighted the case of a young Latvian woman who was working for as little as €3.53 an hour on the vessel. She also endured a working week of 84 hours, with only 3 weeks unpaid leave after working for 4 months solid on board this vessel.

This is only the latest in a long line of reports about the disgraceful pay and working conditions upon the MV Normandy that I have been made aware of by former employees and concerned trade union officials

With the introduction of the outsourcing of labour on the Normandy, it is highly likely that Irish Ferries will try and bring in similar measures across its whole fleet. The company styles itself as the people of Ireland’s number one ‘choice’, yet has re-registered the vessel under a Bermudan flag and is unwilling to provide even the minimum level of Irish standards of pay and working conditions for its staff.

I have previously asked Ministers Noel Dempsey and Pat the Cope Gallagher to provide an update on the proposed EU Ferries Directive which would establish European-wide measures for the proper regulation of pay and working conditions across the whole EU. So far he has been unable, or unwilling, to give an answer to this question.

If the prospect of the adoption of such a directive is not likely in the near future it is incumbent upon the Minister to examine legislative measures with his British and French counterparts that would ensure that all workers on ferry routes between Ireland, Britain and France would be entitled to the minimum wage and proper working conditions that all other workers in these states have.

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Labour Condemn appauling employment conditions on Irish Ferries