RMT responds to Pride of Kent failed inspection

General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “For the third time in a month P&O’s Cypriot flagged Pride of Kent has failed a full safety inspection by the MCA. 

“Passengers and hauliers need to know that P&O’s fleet is operated by over worked and under skilled agency crews, some expected to work for up to 17 weeks on the intensive Dover-Calais route. 

“We are also hearing that P&O’s Maltese crewing agency, IFM is discriminating against Indian seafarers and has dumped four Honduran seafarers in Dover without any financial support, which is against the Maritime Labour Convention.

“P&O Ferries clearly pose a growing threat to maritime safety and the future of the UK ferry industry. The only way to restore safety and economic stability in the ferry industry is for the government to take over the running of P&O Ferries and to restore skilled seafarers to their jobs on union rates of pay.”

Notes to Editors

• Yesterday, the Pride of Kent failed an inspection by the safety regulator, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The same vessel failed MCA inspections on 28 March and 13 April.
• P&O’s Pride of Kent is Cypriot registered and worked on the Dover-Calais route prior to the illegal mass sackings of UK resident crew on 17 March.
• Indian Able seafarers are employed on the Pride of Canterbury by IFM on the Dover Calais route. Their contracts require them to work 17 weeks for a basic rate of £3.97 per hour. A Georgian AB, doing the same job on the same ship is contracted by IFM to work 8 weeks for a basic rate of £4.90 ph.
• The RMT and ITF are investigating the case of four Honduran seafarers who worked for two weeks on the Pride of Kent before IFM dismissed them without any support or trade union representation.
• Part 6 of the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Minimum Requirements for Seafarers etc.) Regulations 2014, places a duty on the employer to meet the cost of repatriating seafarers, including when their contract has been terminated.