Talks between management and unions involved in the Irish Ferries dispute may get underway at the Labour Relations Commission tomorrow.
The country's top industrial relations watchdog - the National Implementation Body - has proposed that both sides should attend the LRC for an intensive round of talks to be completed by Wednesday.
The dispute has seen the company's services halted for the past ten days.
Among the key issues on the agenda are the pay and conditions for existing staff who choose to stay on at Irish Ferries. They were due to see their pay cut if they did not take redundancy.
Both parties will also discuss the pay and conditions of outsourced eastern European workers who were originally due to receive less than half the Irish minimum wage.
It is hoped the two sides can agree mechanisms to ensure that whatever employment terms are agreed can be guaranteed in the event that the company proceeds with re-flagging its vessels abroad.
It is understood that management is prepared to attend the talks, while SIPTU will announce its position after further consideration of the proposal.
If these talks can break the deadlock and resolve the row, it is hoped SIPTU will agree to go into a new round of partnership talks.
With SIPTU on board the way would be clear for all unions affiliated to the ICTU to enter negotiations on a new national agreement.
TEEU to support Irish Ferries protest march
The Technical Engineering and Electrical Union earlier called on its 39,000-strong membership to support next week's planned Irish Ferries protest march.
General Secretary of the TEEU, Owen Wills, said the Government and employers would measure the strength of the trade union movement and its concern for the exploitation of workers on the basis of the turn out on Friday.
He said job displacement had become a major problem in the construction and contracting industry.
Mr Wills also accused the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment of remaining resistant to anything that interferes with economic growth at any cost.
