Link the tonnage

I NTRODUCED in 2000, the favourable tax concession to shipowners has led to a three-fold increase in foreign-owned vessels flying the Red Ensign and was envis- aged to include training for UK ship- pers. However, the decline in British seafaring jobs has continued. Over £70 million in taxpayers’ money has been handed out to shipowners, but there has been no link to ratings’ train- ing and jobs. Shipowners have continued to employ foreign labour employed at lower rates due to a loop-hole in the section nine of the race relations act, which allows for discrimination on British ships. Today there are fewer than 10,000 UK ratings left. Action must be taken to stem this decline. RMT shipping secretary Steve Todd said that the new tax had been hailed as the salvation of the shipping industry, but there is now a grave danger of the British rating disappearing altogether. “We have seen some ratings to officer training take place since 2000 but many ratings have been replaced with overseas seafarers on terrible rates of pay,” he said. Flag of convenience? Ratings from eastern Europe and the far east are being paid little over a pound an hour for working 70 hours a week on British-registered ships, many of them foreign-owned, preventing British seafarers from competing for jobs. vessels have flagged-in to the British fleet in order to benefit from the tonnage tax but have no respon- sibility to obey UK laws of employment. These developments have led to a growing feeling that the Red Ensign –the historic symbol of Britain’s merchant navy – is turning into a flag of convenience. International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) inspectors have uncovered instances of appalling exploitation of foreign crews, with some Filipino crew members earning just £1.34 an hour for working over 300 hours a month. ITF UK co-ordinator Norrie McVicar described the situation as “slave labour” and “social dumping at its worst”. “It’s an absolute disgrace that we are still arguing with the government on bringing in measures to change this,” he said. RMT to blame? The union rejected bizarre claims by deputy prime Minister John Prescott that RMT were to blame for the rise in low paid foreign crews on British ships. The former RMT member made the claim during parliamentary question time earlier this month when he was asked why the tonnage tax had failed to deliver extra UK jobs or training places as promised. The deputy PM claimed that there was extra training but RMT “did not take up the training arrangements for British crew members to be on board the ships”. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said the deputy PM was “worryingly misinformed” on the issue of training for UK seafaring ratings. “RMT has consistently reminded the government of the failure of the Tonnage Tax regime to deliver training and employment opportu- nities for UK seafaring ratings. “The fact is that there are only around 50 UK ratings being trained each year – not enough to replenish even the current all-time low number of UK ratings in the industry,” he said. Shipping secretary Steve Todd also said that to accuse the union of missing training opportunities was “sheer nonsense”, pointing out that RMT would never turn its back on training and job opportunities. “Taxpayers have been handed over more than £70 million for the tonnage tax, but so far nothing has stopped shipowners dumping UK ratings in favour of low-paid overseas recruits. “What the industry desperately needs is government action to reverse the decline in UK ratings’ jobs – and that means a formal link between the million out in tonnage tax creation of training jobs,” Steve said. Website The RMT website h campaign page wh material that can b RMT news – Link the tonnage! OVER 80 MPs have signed the Early Day Motion 880 calling for the government to link entitlement to the tonnage tax to training and job opportunities for UK seafarers. Link the tonnag THIS CAMPAIGN COULD NOT B WITHOUT THE POLITICAL 16 Postcard Enclosed with th postcards which EDM and to the s tax, including a l Whatever grad MP, adding your sign EDM 880 an BGM backs The RMT’s bienn to achieve a link employment of U National shipp campaign was n the repeal on se Steve outlined ment and trainin had been establ lobbied through had been tabled Brian Armstron the union should shipowners to th job for UK seafa Malcolm Dunn foreign ships, inc fleets, which hav tonnage tax paid John Moran of picking” whereb ignoring UK laws "This concess and all legislatio said. Mark Winches campaign to ma ns being handed relief and the opportunities and has a specific hich contains e used to support the RMT case. In particular model letters that can be sent to MPs can be downloaded and adapted for use. Many MPs have already signed the EDM, so a letter should also be sent directly to the Shipping Minister and this is also available on the website. www.rmt.org.uk py possible cut? RMT parliamentary group at work The RMT parliamentary group has swung into action in support of the tonnage tax campaign by writing to each MP explaining the need for a change in the tax concession to save UK jobs. The group has been successful in encouraging fellow MPs to sign EDM 880 and hopes the postcard campaign will bring in many more signatures. The RMT group of MPs has also won a select committee enquiry on the issue and secured a meeting with the Treasury minister Dawn Primarolo to discuss the need for reform of the tax. RMT has also written to the Inland Revenue outlining the union’s case and a reply has now been received. The response stated that the Department of Transport would be taking the lead in any decisions regarding an employment or training link. However, it was unable to provide details of the timetable for the review process, including the likely date for any decision. e! BE POSSIBLE L FUND “This House is deeply concerned that the total number of UK seafaring ratings has declined from 30,000 ratings in 1980 to less than 10,000 in 2003; regrets that the decline has continued since the introduction of the Government’s tonnage tax regime; notes that the proportion of British Officers is also declining and has fallen by more than 27 per cent in the last three years; believes that the decline in UK seafarers cannot be allowed to continue if this country is to retain a core of essential maritime skills; abhors the fact that ship owners who have benefited massively from millions of pounds of public subsidy through the tonnage tax regime have failed to arrest this decline in British jobs, notes that in its current form the tonnage tax has not generated significant training and employment opportunities for UK seafaring ratings and officers and calls on the Government to use the current Inland Revenue review to introduce a firm link between the concession and the increased employment of UK seafaring ratings and officers on UK registered ships.” EDM 880: Seafarers Employment and the Tonnage Tax 17 EDM 880 signatures LABOUR PARTY: Harry Barnes, Joe Benton, Harold Best, Bob Bizzard, Martin Caton, Colin Challen, Helen Clark, Tony Clarke, Harry Cohen, Michael Connarty, Jeremy Corbyn, Jim Cousins, Ann Cryer, Jim Cunningham, Claire, Curtis-Thomas, Ian Davidson, Terry Davis, Janet Dean, Jim Dobbin, Brian H Donohoe, David Drew, Louise Ellman, Bill Etherington, Paul Flynn, Hywel Francis, IanGibson, Win Griffiths, David Hamilton, Ivan Henderson, Stephen Hepburn, Kelvin Hopkins, Lindsay Hoyle, Brian Iddon, Eric Illsley, Brian Jenkins, Lynne Jones, Peter Kilfoyle, Mark Lazarowicz, Terry Lewis, Calum Macdonald, Alice Mahon, Rob Marris, John McDonnell, Ann McKechin, Kevin McNamara, Tony McWalter, Alan Meale, Austin Mitchell Doug Naysmith, Edward O'Hara, Sandra Osborne Albert Owen, Gwyn Prosser, Syd Rapson, Phil Sawford, Alan Simpson, Marsha Singh, Dennis Skinner, John P Smith, Gavin Strang, David Taylor, Desmond Turner, Rudi Vis, Joan Walley, Robert N Wareing, Betty Williams, Anthony D Wright, Derek Wyatt LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: Alistair Carmichael, Andrew George, Mike Hancock, Nigel Jones, John Thurso, Roger Williams PLAID CYMRU: Adam Price SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC AND LABOUR PARTY: Eddie McGrady ULSTER UNIONIST PARTY: Roy Beggs, David Burnside Sylvia Hermon, Martin Smyth DEMOCRATIC UNIONIST PARTY: Nigel Dodds his edition of RMT News are tonnage tax campaign you can send directly to MPs to ask them to sign the shipping minister demanding action on the tonnage ink between the tax and British jobs and training. de you work in, please find time to drop a line to your address at the bottom of the card, and ask them to nd find out their views on the subject. Tonnage tax campaign nial shipping conference backed the campaign k between the tonnage tax and the training and UK seafarers. ping secretary Steve Todd said that the tonnage tax now the priority although work was also continuing on ction nine of the Race Relations Act. the determination of the union to secure an employ- ng link. He reported that a special campaign page ished on the RMT website and that MPs were being the postcard campaign to support the EDM 880 that on this subject. ng of Southampton branch posed the question why d continue supporting a tax that had benefited the he tune of over £70 million but had not produced one arers. ning of the shipping committee said that hundreds of cluding from the infamous Liberian and Panamanian ve appalling safety records, were benefiting from d by UK taxpayers. f Liverpool branch said it was a clear case of “cherry by shipowners were taking the tax concession and s. ion should only apply to ships flying the Red Ensign on should apply, including the UK minimum wage," he ter of Dover branch said there was a need to ke the taxpayer aware of the tonnage tax rip-off. RMT news – Link the tonnage