RMT’s ‘port of shame’ campaign targets Condor

Poverty pay for Ukrainian seafarers on Channel Islands ferries is being challenged by the RMT transport union, whose members have been demonstrating at Portsmouth Continental Ferry Port.

Their target is Condor Ferries, which is said to be paying as little as £2.35 an hour, while reporting a 275% increase in pre-tax profits. RMT argues that “light touch” regulations in the Equality Act have left seafarers open to exploitation based on nationality.

The company’s efforts to defend its approach seem to have had the opposite effect. It was accused of attempting to “gloss over” the issue by claiming that the Ukrainian crew living on the ferries are a minority and that other staff benefit from better pay and conditions.

RMT acting general secretary Mick Cash described it as “a bare-faced admission that not only are they exploiting their Ukrainian seafarers but that they have every intention of continuing to do so”.

www.rmt.org.uk/news/rmt-to-hit-portsmouth-port-of-shame-this-weekend