Labour Court recommends Irish Ferries honour 2004 agreement

The Labour Court recommended that Irish Ferries continue to honour its 2004 collective agreement with the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union and resume negotiations on necessary changes. The recommendation was signed on 11 November 2005. The dispute arose from proposals to outsource labour on Irish Sea vessels. The union said the agreement, covering pay and conditions, should continue until it expired in June 2007, with changes agreed by both sides. Irish Ferries argued it needed cost reductions of €15 million a year to compete. The Court said the company’s proposals would go beyond a review and effectively end the agreement. It was not satisfied that Irish Ferries had made a compelling case for ending it unilaterally or had exhausted the scope for renegotiation.