Discrimination at sea

The TUC is calling on ministers to end pay rates of less than £2 an hour in the UK shipping industry, following the publication in June of a government report recommend- ing that a legal loophole allowing race discrimination on pay for seafarers should be closed. Under existing law, seafarers who don’t live in the UK can be paid less than their colleagues who are UK residents. For example, Filipino workers employed on ferries between two UK ports earn substantially less than other crew members who work with them.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “Exploitative rates of pay for seafarers working on British ships have no place in a modern society. Nationality-based pay discrimination against seafarers should be outlawed. We urge ministers to press ahead with changing the law.”

The Department of Transport consultation is at www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/shippingports/shipping/diffpay/pdf/report.pdf