Condor Ferries cancel all island sailings until next week

Condor Ferries' services to St Malo have been cancelled until next week because of the continuing industrial action by its French crew.

The company said it would be possible to get to France and it would be using alternative operators.

Pay dispute talks between Condor and the International Transport Workers' Federation have remained deadlocked, with no sign of a resolution.

Ferries between France and both Jersey and Guernsey have been affected.

'No compromise'

Condor's French workers took industrial action last Thursday in a row over pay and conditions, which has seen sailings cancelled.

Condor chief executive James Fulford has been negotiating with the unions since the strike began.

ITF representative Laure Talloneau said: "Staff would not compromise and not go back to work until they got better pay and working conditions."

Condor said the union refused to negotiate over terms it had already offered.

Ms Talloneau claimed workers were protesting because they wanted the same rights as their counterparts on the mainland, such as social security benefits.

She said they would stay on strike until they had their contracts changed.

'Cannot afford more'

The industrial action began on Thursday morning when 250 French day trippers were left on the quayside in St Malo.

Mr Fulford said Condor did not make a huge amount of money on the route and could not afford to pay much more money to its staff.

On Friday, Ms Talloneau called on Jersey's government to pressure Condor into changing the workers' contracts.

Economic Development Minister, Senator Alan Maclean, said: "At the moment it is a matter between Condor Ferries, a Guernsey registered company, and the authorities in France.

"The unions are in dialogue with Condor, all we are concerned about is that the service returns to normal as quickly as possible."