Seafarers’ Bill won’t close loopholes

Maritime unions say the government still has a long way to go to address legal loopholes that allowed P&O Ferries and its chief executive, Peter Hebblethwaite, “to run roughshod over employment rights” and sack 786 seafarers.

A year ago, P&O Ferries summarily sacked almost its entire British seafaring crew and replaced them with agency workers recruited from abroad — some paid less than the UK minimum wage and working tours of duty that unions believe are unsafe. The government subsequently committed to a nine-point plan, including National Minimum Wage (NMW) corridors between the UK and neighbouring countries.

But as the Seafarers Wages Bill reached its report stage in the House of Commons last month, the RMT union said that in its current form, the legislation only provides for a limited extension of the NMW to seafarers on international routes from UK ports.

Nautilus International general secretary Mark Dickinson said: “Whilst we are pleased to see the government pass primary legislation to ensure seafarers on vessels calling regularly at UK ports are paid at least the UK national minimum wage, this cannot be the sum total of government action.”

Union demands include safe rostering patterns and crewing levels included in a bilateral agreement with neighbouring countries and for the Bill to refer to broader terms and conditions contained in a seafarers’ charter, as set out in a Labour amendment.