RMT responds to Government Future Maritime Strategy

Responding to the publication today of the government’s new Future Maritime strategy RMT general secretary Mick Cash said,

“First, we have the Brexit ferry scandal with companies without ships.

“Now from these latest proposals it seems we will have ghost ships, without crew, with new government encouragement for autonomous ships.

“This will further compound the scandal, where due to undercutting caused by the exclusion of seafarers from equality and minimum wage legislation, the UK’s seafarer workforce accounts for only 15% of the 65,200 Ratings’ jobs in the UK shipping industry.

“Perhaps we should not be surprised when the government can’t even say whether their £103m Brexit ferry contracts will create a single UK seafaring job.

“This is a huge missed opportunity and we need radical action now if we are to stem the decline in UK seafaring jobs.”