Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service

Circular No: NP/051/18

TO ALL BRANCHES AND REGIONAL COUNCILS.

Our ref: S7/8/18

9th March 2018

Dear Colleagues

Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service

Further to Circular No. NP/017/17 of 1st February 2017 I write to let members know that nominations for the UK Government’s 2018 Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service have opened.

This medal is awarded to recognise outstanding contributions to the industry by merchant seafarers of the UK, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The minimum period of merchant navy service for nominees is generally twenty years, although exceptions can be made. Merchant seafarers, retired or serving can be nominated.
The Department for Transport’s guidance and nomination forms are attached and I would urge Shipping Branches and members to put RMT Ratings forward for this medal.

Twenty Merchant Navy medals are awarded by the Government every year, almost always to officers. This downgrades the vital role that Ratings play in the merchant shipping industry but unless RMT Shipping Branches increase the number of Merchant Navy Ratings that are nominated every year, that is unlikely to change. The guidance and nomination forms are also available online, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/merchant-navy-medal-for-meritorious-service-nomination-form

It would be appreciated if you could bring the content of this circular to the attention of all branch members and you will be updated with further developments.

Yours sincerely
 
Mick Cash
General Secretary