Seafarers Jobs

The United Kingdom is an island nation heavily dependent upon ships for our trade yet numbers of seafarers have declined dramatically in recent years.

UK seafaring ratings numbers have fallen from 30,000 in 1980 to less than 10,000 today.

In response, the government published a policy document on UK shipping in December 1998, Charting a New Course. One of the key objectives was to increase the training and employment of UK seafarers. The centrepiece of these measures was the UK tonnage tax. However the replacement of UK seafarers by low cost foreign nationals has continued.

Shipowners can continue to replace UK seafarers due to the lack of employment protection for workers in the industry. They continue to enjoy an exemption from the provisions of the 1976 Race Relations Act which allows them to pay exploitative rates to foreign national seafarers recruited abroad.

RMT have no objections to the employment of foreign nationals so long as they are receive legitimate rates of pay, and equivalent periods of leave to UK seafarers, for undertaking the work in UK workplaces.

It has also emerged that the national minimum wage does not apply to UK seafarers on board UK ships whilst in UK territorial waters; the legislation only applies whilst the ship is in port or UK internal waters.

The lack of regulation and social protection for UK seafarers has seen their continued replacement by low cost foreign national seafarers. In addition other cut backs have recently occurred in the UK ferry sector. In recent years P&O Ferries have dismissed 1,500 UK seafarers involving the closure of a number of key ferry routes, and there have been further dismissals elsewhere in the industry.

• For more on the above campaigns, visit the shipping circulars page.

Resources

Briefing Notes for MPs on the position for seafarers under the 1976 Race Relations Act

Inquiry Needed into Northern Isles Ferry Contract Award - Scottish Labour Press Release