Smoking on RFA vessels

Our Ref: HSR/1/19
Head Office Circular: NP/220/21
24th June 2021
To: The Secretary
ALL SHIPPING BRANCHES
REGIONAL COUNCILS

Dear Colleague,

SMOKING ON RFA VESSELS

Your Southampton Shipping Branch submitted the following resolution:

We Southampton Shipping Branch are concerned with RFA introducing a MOD total ban on smoking onboard RFA ships from June 1st 2021.

Official Representations from RMT to delay implementation have not changed the RFA commodore’s decision and after an emergency meeting on June 3rd he reiterated that the ban on smoking anywhere onboard RFA ships will carry on.

RMT members request that the NEC asks the General Secretary to seek legal opinions on whether RFA/MOD can implement a total ban from smoking anywhere onboard ship and enforce this when a ship is a seafarer’s home for up to 4 months at a time and a reasonable outside space should be provided similar to MOD training establishments.

Your National Executive Committee (NEC), at its meeting on 22nd June 2021, resolved as follows:

That we note the resolution from Southampton Shipping Branch and instruct the General Secretary to obtain a report from the Lead Officer on this issue and have this placed back before this NEC

Relevant members, Branches and Regional Councils to be advised.

I am acting in accordance with these instructions.

Please bring the contents of this circular to the attention of relevant members.

Yours sincerely

Michael Lynch
General Secretary