Unions supported the Irish Ferries workers' action on Saturday

Irish union Siptu said it wanted to end the stand-off which has kept two ferries in Welsh ports.

Ship crews at Holyhead and Pembroke Dock are protesting at plans to replace staff with cheaper workers from abroad.

Irish Ferries has said it had been completely open about what it was doing over bringing in new crews as part of a cost-cutting exercise.

The Isle of Inishmore, moored in Pembroke Dock, and the Ulysses, docked in Holyhead, were due to sail on 25 November.

About 15 crew members are believed to be barricaded on each ship.

Ireland's industrial relations watchdog, the National Implementation Body, proposed talks between unions and management on Sunday.

Agreement 'torn up'

A statement from Siptu General President Jack O'Connor said: "We acknowledge the statement late last night by the National Implementation Body.

"We will be participating and we will be doing our best to try and reach an agreement."

Unions held a demonstration at Pembroke Dock on Saturday in support of staff working for Irish Ferries.

The action was organised by the International Transport Workers Federation (ITWF) and supported by the Wales TUC.

The ITWF said Irish Ferries' offer to staff of voluntary redundancy or to accept a pay cut "tore up" a three-year agreement made between the company and unions last year.

Crew members say they are trying to secure their jobs

But Irish Ferries has said 95% of ships calling at Irish ports have outsourced crews and that it needed to do the same thing in order to compete.

The company said competition from low-cost airlines, high fuel prices and Irish ship workers earning more money mean it will not make any profits after 2007 without radical change.