Fact Service February 2014

Issue 7

Not ferry nice

Condor Ferries pays Ukrainian crew on its ships, which carry freight between Portsmouth, Guernsey and Jersey, just £28.19 for a 12-hour shift, the Morning Star has revealed.

The company is able to get away with flouting EU labour laws and British minimum wage laws because the Ukrainians are non-domiciled in Britain and are working in international waters. The ships only dock in British ports, but are registered under the Bahamian flag of convenience.

Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT maritime union, said: “The super-exploitation of foreign nationals in the British shipping industry is a massive scandal that the political elite want to keep quiet. That’s no surprise as it’s their wealthy mates running the shipping companies who benefit from this scam.”

Condor Ferries is also flouting UK company law as it has failed to file 2013 accounts in the time limit.

www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-a80a-Shipping-loophole-leaves-workers-on-miserly-235-an-hour