Post-Herald of Free Enterprise Maritime Safety Regulations

Circular No: NP/227/14

TO ALL SHIPPING AND OFFSHORE BRANCHES, REGIONAL ORGANISERS, REGIONAL COUNCILS, & COUNCIL OF EXECUTIVES.

Our ref: S6/2/14

7th November 2014

Dear Colleagues

Post-Herald of Free Enterprise Maritime Safety Regulations

Further to circular no. NP/141/14 of 17th July 2014, the union has been asked to attend a meeting on 24th November to discuss the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s recent consultation which the union responded to over the summer.

As you may recall, the Government has proposed through the ‘Red Tape Challenge’ cutting four maritime safety regulations that were introduced as a result of the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster on 6th March 1987 in which 193 passengers and crew lost their lives. The regulations in question cover cargo weighing and reporting requirements and emergency equipment lockers on-deck for passenger ferries.

The Shipping Minister, John Hayes MP will host a ‘roundtable discussion’ of the RMT’s opposition to the plans outlined in the MCA consultation ‘before he makes a final decision on this sensitive matter.’ Nautilus (also opposed to cutting these regulations) will be attending, as will the Chamber of Shipping and the ports industry that used the ‘Red Tape Challenge’ to propose these cuts in the first place.

If RMT seafarers have any further points to add to the union’s defence of these important maritime safety regulations, then it would be appreciated if you could email them to d.crimes@rmt.org.uk by Friday 21st November.

You will be alerted to the Shipping Minister’s final decision on these maritime safety regulations and it would be appreciated if you could bring the content of this circular to the attention of all members in your Branch.

Yours sincerely
 
Mick Cash
General Secretary