Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Irish Ferries strike starts to hurt Ireland
The Irish Ferries strike is dragging on. About fifteen crew members are still barricaded in the Isle of Innishmore in Pembroke Dock and in Ulysees in Holyhead Dock. The dispute which came about because Irish Ferries wants to lay off 500 staff and replace them with labour from Latvia and Eastern Europe as a drastic cost cutting exercise. The ferry line which moves 25% of the goods in and out of Ireland is tied up in port and the shock waves are starting to be felt at a national level. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern openly criticised Irish Ferries' handling of the dispute.
