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EUROPEAN REVIEW

ISSUE 33 - Page 3

Latvia/Sweden problems spread to Irish Ferries

WE REPORTED IN ISSUE 30 on the dispute in Sweden where Latvian workers were employed at below Swedish pay rates (see page 6); now the same clash between labour markets in the 'old' and 'new' EU has hit nearer to home.

Irish Ferries, a company whose ships link Ireland, Wales and France tore up a year-old agreement with unions, registered in Cyprus and gave notice that Latvian workers were to be employed on rates of pay at about half of the minimum wage in Ireland. The existing employees were given the choice of the reduced pay and conditions, redundancy or dismissal. After the new recruits had been smuggled aboard by security guards, engineers and officers barricaded themselves on two ships which were confined to port in Wales. With talks between the company and unions deadlocked, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions held protest marches throughout Ireland attended by an estimated 100,000 people. Although the lack of a proposed European Ferries directive has left a

IrishFerriesProtest

loophole in the shipping sector, at the heart of the dispute is the same conundrum as in the Swedish dispute and the arguments over the proposed Services Directive: can employers treat foreign workers as if they were in their home country or according to the practice of their host state? As the European Review went to press it seemed a deal had been reached between Irish Ferries and SIPTU, the main union involved. Brendan Hayes for the union, said it had agreed to Irish Ferries' plans to re-register its ships abroad, but that terms and conditions had been secured for workers who wanted to stay with the company. The union had also won a pay package for foreign workers which would ensure they were paid at least the Irish minimum wage of €7.65 (£5.19) per hour.

Crowds on the Dublin demonstration

Disabled workers: EU to make 2006 year of inclusion

TO COINCIDE WITH THE RECENT European Day of People with Disabilities the EU Commission has stressed its commitment to including disabled people in the future labour market. In a communication it sets out a European Action Plan for the period 2006-2007

whose main aim is to raise the proportion of disabled people in work. Currently only 40% of those with a long standing health or disability problem have jobs compared to a general figure of 64.2%. Nor does this affect a small number of would-be workers: 15.7% of everyone aged 15 to 64 falls into this category, some 44 million people. Over 43% of those who are inactive feel that they could work if reasonable provision was made for them, according to a recent survey.
Apart from remedying discrimination, action to get

Špidla, V.

more disabled people into the labour market would counteract the effects of the EU's ageing population which will include 21 million less working age citizens by 2030. Tax revenues would be increased, welfare spending lessened and perhaps the Lisbon targets for employment might be met by 2010.
The Communication proposes four 'priority actions' for the 2006-7 period. These are encouraging activity,

Commissioner Špidla

providing access to quality support and care, fostering accessibility for all and increasing the EU's information on disability in society. Speaking at the Disability Day conference Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Commissioner Vladimir Špidla insisted 'The thrust of our employment policies must be to increase participation in the employment market by the categories which have sometimes been squeezed out, e.g. women, ethnic minorities, older workers, young people and people with disabilities'.

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Irish Ferries, a company whose ships link Ireland, Wales and France tore up a year-old agreement with unions, registered in Cyprus and gave notice that Latvian workers were to be employed on rates of pay at about half of the minimum wage in Ireland. The existing employees were given the choice of the reduced pay and conditions, redundancy or dismissal. After the new recruits had been smuggled aboard by security guards, engineers and officers barricaded themselves on two ships which were confined to port in Wales. With talks between the company and unions deadlocked, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions held protest marches throughout Ireland attended by an estimated 100,000 people. Although the lack of a proposed European Ferries directive has left a			loophole in the shipping sector, at the heart of the dispute is the same conundrum as in the Swedish dispute and the arguments over the proposed Services Directive: can employers treat foreign workers as if they were in their home country or according to the practice of their host state? As the European Review went to press it seemed a deal had been reached between Irish Ferries and SIPTU, the main union involved. Brendan Hayes for the union, said it had agreed to Irish Ferries' plans to re-register its ships abroad, but that terms and conditions had been secured for workers who wanted to stay with the company. The union had also won a pay package for foreign workers which would ensure they were paid at least the Irish minimum wage of €7.65 (£5.19) per hour.
	Crowds on the Dublin demonstration