THE port of Ayr could benefit by up to #2m in new business because of a bitter industrial dispute between Irish trade unions and the Enterprise Oil exploration company.
The company refuses to employ Irish offshore workers at a gas field off the west coast of Ireland, claiming it already has its quota of European staff on its Sedco rig.
The dispute has spread to Foynes port in Limerick, with dockers refusing to handle any of the company's supplies for the rig. Enterprise Oil is looking around for a new port, and has already used Ayr for one supply vessel to pick up goods.
The largest union in Ireland, the Services Industrial Professional Technical Union (Siptu), has accused the company of breaching a 29-year agreement that drilling rigs in territorial waters must employ a quota of Irish workers and is calling on the government to withdraw the company's exploration licence.
Siptu vice president Des Geraghty said: ''From the outset, this company has shown nothing but contempt for Irish workers and local industrial agreements which have successfully operated in the oil and gas industry for nearly 30 years.''
Mr John McGoldrick, the Glasgow-based general manager of Enterprise Oil, said the crew aboard the Sedco rig had been together for some time in the North Sea. He added: ''They are efficient and work well together. I don't see why I should be forced to replace them with people I don't know and don't need, simply because I cross from British to Irish waters.''
The company claims the workers involved lack expertise and experience.
Offshore workers' committee spokesman Padraic Campbell retorted that ''Irish oil rig workers are among the most experienced in the world''.
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