3 September 2022
RMT Press Office:
Maritime union RMT today paid tribute to the vital work of seafarers as part of Merchant Navy Day.
Mick Lynch, RMT General Secretary said: “RMT pays tribute to the skills and sacrifice of working-class seafarers who have kept this country safe and supplied since the Merchant Navy was established after the First World War, and for centuries before that.
"From the Royal Fleet Auxiliary to the passenger ferry and offshore sectors, our merchant seafarers are paying the best tribute possible to those who have gone before them by maintaining the maritime skills and capacity that are the logistical lifeline for our islands.”
END
NOTES TO EDITORS:
RMT organise seafarer Ratings, the skilled seafarers operating ferry, offshore energy, cruise and naval support vessels that service and secure the national economy.
Merchant Navy Day is held every year on 3rd September. RMT is a trustee of the Seafarers Charity, which established an annual Merchant Navy Day.
The term Merchant Navy was officially created in 1919, in recognition of the sacrifice of civilian seafarers during the First World War when over 15,000 lost their lives.
Over 4,700 British flagged ships were lost in the Second World War, claiming the lives of over 29,000 merchant navy seafarers.
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