1 February 2018
RMT Press Office:
RMT raises employment concerns over Government’s Maritime Growth Study Review
SEAFARER RATINGS union RMT today reacted with concern at the findings of the Government’s Maritime Growth Study (MGS) Review, published today. The MGS, published in September 2015 was designed to increase the competitiveness of the UK maritime industries. RMT’s SOS 2020 campaign argues that the MGS was written by ship owners and City-based maritime services, to the detriment of UK seafarers, who only occupy around 10% of seafarer jobs in the UK shipping industry.
RMT National Secretary Steve Todd said:
“The Growth Study continues to avoid the maritime employment and equality issues driving the decline in UK seafarers. We face a maritime skills deficit in a few years but now the Government is talking about crewless ships. That is no way to react to the opportunities for the next generation of UK seafarers in growth areas like cruise, decommissioning and renewable energy.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash commented:
"We will be meeting the new Shipping Minister shortly to discuss seafarer employment and skills issue. We will be alerting Ms Ghani to the specific actions the Government must take in the forthcoming Maritime Skills Strategy to stop this dangerous rot. Wealthy shipowners with dodgy environmental records remain in control of the Government’s shipping policies and RMT will continue to argue for more jobs and training for UK Ratings and Officers.”
ENDS
Note to Editors
1. The Seafarer projections study commissioned by the maritime growth study found 123,000 Ratings and Officers jobs in the uK shipping industry. According to DfT, there were 23,060 UK Ratings and Officers working at sea as of June 2016.
2. Zodiac Shipping are represented on the Maritime Growth Study Advisory Board https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/maritime-growth-study They are heavy users of Bangladesh ship breaking yards which have seen a surge of workers deaths in the last year. http://www.shipbreakingplatform.org/surge-in-number-of-accidents-in-bangladesh-shipbreaking-yards/
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Tagged with: sos2020, maritime growth study review, seafarers, ratings,
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