NUMAST IN ROW WITH IRISH FERRIES

[proud_ionian]

THE UK officers’ union NUMAST says it has challenged Irish Ferries over the company’s claims that cuts are needed to remain competitive with other operators.

The company has threatened to abandon its Irish Sea ferry services if it is unable to replace more than 540 of its British and Irish seafarers with cheaper eastern European agency staff.

It has been estimated that the company will save some euros15,000 per crew member by introducing the eastern European seafarers.

NUMAST assistant general secretary Mark Dickinson said Irish Ferries seemed intent on pursuing “a damaging race to the bottom” in its attempts to increase revenue. He said: “We have to remember that this is not a loss-making company and that these cuts are about increasing profits, not reducing losses.” The company posted net earnings of euros1.5m in the first half of 2005, with revenue rising to euros139.6m from euros135.8m over the same period.

“No one denies that there is competition from other ferry services and low-cost airlines, but other companies are able to compete without engaging in an onslaught against decent employment conditions,” Mr Dickinson added.

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“Short-term cuts will not provide long-term sustainability and if Irish Ferries does introduce low-cost crews from Eastern Europe, it will only be a matter of time before others seek to follow them and there lies the path to mutually assured destruction.”

Mr Dickinson said that ferry companies should be cooperating to lobby for changes in European Commission policies to help promote the employment and training of EU seafarers and to safeguard conditions on services between member states.