The ferry company, Irish Ferries, says it may suspend services on three of its four passenger ferries because of a dispute with its staff. 600 employees have been told they would be temporarily laid off as a result.
The dispute centres on efforts by Irish Ferries to implement cost-cutting measures that the company says would make it more competitive.
The 'Jonathan Swift', 'Isle of Inishmore', and 'Normandy' ferries would cease sailing within a fortnight, the company said.
A spokesperson for SIPTU, which represents 300 workers with Irish Ferries, has said the union is not prepared to engage in negotiations without the Seamen's Union of Ireland.
The spokesperson said this was because 'both unions have the same workers doing the same job, and an agreement cannot be implemented until both sides agree'.
However, the Seamen's Union of Ireland, SUI, which has about 500 members in the company, has said it is unwilling to enter talks with Irish Ferries on a joint basis with SIPTU.
SUI General Secretary, Robert Carrick, said that while the union was prepared to enter talks with the company, it would not negotiate with SIPTU because 'our members do not want SIPTU negotiating on our behalf on this issue'.
Mr Carrick also said that workers would refuse to sail the fourth ferry, 'Ulysses', if the company went ahead with its plan to suspend services on the other three.
Irish Ferries has said that all efforts to date to solve the dispute have been unsuccessful because of the refusal of the trade unions to negotiate together.
