skip to main content

Protest in support of Irish Ferries workers

Irish Ferries - Protest in Pembroke
Irish Ferries - Protest in Pembroke

A protest in support of Irish Ferries workers has taken place in Pembroke.

About 40 members of various trade unions in Wales turned up for the rally at Pembroke Dock.

During the protest the four crewmen on board the Isle of Inismore emerged and unveiled a banner bearing the letters SOS. The crewmen waved from the deck and were cheered by the Welsh trade union members.

Officials from the International Transport Workers Federation also handed a letter of protest to the dock authorities in Pembroke.

The local Labour MP for the area, Nick Ainger, appealed to Irish Ferries management to begin meaningful talks to resolve the dispute immediately.

Mr Ainger said the dispute and the closure of the port was having a serious financial impact on the south Wales economy.

Crewmembers have been barricaded on board the Isle of Inismore in Pembroke for nine days, in protest at plans to lay-off Irish staff and replace them with workers on lesser pay.