Tonnage tax campaign

RMT news – Essential reading for today ’s transport worker Employment Table one provides details of the number of UK seafaring ratings and officers employed on vessels registered under the tonnage tax regime as well as details of seafarers employed from elsewhere in the EU and from non- European Economic Area states. The number of UK seafarers employed on tonnage tax vessels has declined to 1811 in 2004, a fall of over 10 per cent. However, the number of vessels in the regime has increased - see table two below. Training The Chamber of Shipping would not agree to any commitments on training or employment. Instead, shipping companies are supposed to annually review: G Employment of more UK ratings G Employment of more highly trained UK ratings in more technical posts G Recruitment of UK ratings in a planned stream towards officer qualifications G Assist existing UK ratings to advance towards officer qualifications and posts DoT Shipping Task Force figures indicate that there were a total of 290 seafaring ratings undertaking officer training. RMT welcomes the opportunity for ratings to undertake conversion training but this has not been followed up with a replacement of UK ratings. It has become apparent that training and employment for ratings positions has been almost entirely ignored by shipping companies. Ship owners shedding UK jobs PRIOR to the introduction of the tonnage tax the Treasury asked that Lord Alexander of Weedon QC carry out an investigation into its merit. He concluded that there were good reasons for the scheme but recorded concern that commitments to UK seafarers’ training and employment did not go far enough. In his report Lord Alexander stated that the Chamber of Shipping made a separate non-formal commitment to double the current intake of trainees within three years. At the time of deliberations within the Ratings Task Force sub-group in 1998, approximately 200 new ratings were being trained every year. The latest figures indicate less that 50 trainees for last year. Dismissals of UK seafaring ratings have also continued. The union reported the declining prospects for UK seafaring ratings just after the introduction of the tonnage tax. The report said that UK seafaring ratings had been dismissed and replaced by low cost foreign nationals in P&O Irish Sea Ferries, Bibby International and Serac Maritime Crewing. Hundreds of redundancies have been announced at P&O Dover, quickly followed by 150 dismissals of UK ratings by Northern Marine Manning Ltd. UK seafarers engaged by Northern Marine to work on the Technip diving and pipelay fleet have been replaced by low cost Filipino nationals. UK seafaring ratings have also been replaced by low cost foreign nationals in the hotel and catering department on P&O European Ferries (Portsmouth) vessels. This latest Northern Marine job losses follows the actions of many other offshore sector operators, such as Sealion, Rockwater and DSND, who have switched to Filipino or other low cost seafarers. In the last few years employment for UK seafaring ratings has been steadily eroded even on the ferries operating from UK ports. P&O have dismissed many UK seafaring ratings from their operations in the North and Irish Sea, and now even Stena Line have announced the gradual displacement of UK seafaring ratings by Filipino seafarers at Harwich. P&O ferries The P&O Group have taken advantage of the financial concessions offered by the tonnage tax. However, shortly after it was introduced the company dismissed the remaining UK seafaring ratings from the deep sea (foreign going) P&O Nedlloyd fleet. P&O Ferries are steadily replacing UK seafaring ratings with low cost foreign nationals. Recent examples include the replacement of 120 UK seafarers with Portuguese nationals on P&O Portsmouth vessels earlier this year. The company has also dismissed UK motormen and replaced them with Filipino nationals on P&O North Sea Ferries vessels and Spanish seafarers have replaced UK seafaring ratings on P&O Irish Sea Ferries vessels. UK seafaring ratings that retire or leave P&O North Sea Ferries are now being replaced with low cost foreign nationals. The only section of the P&O Ferries Group where UK seafaring ratings have remained largely untouched is P&O Dover However, a current internal business review also threatens the future of these UK seafarers. How can you help We can win this campaign by making MPs, the government and media aware of our concerns. You can help by: G Sending the campaign postcard to the shipping minister and your MP G Distribute the postcard to your workmates, family amd friends. Extra postcards can be obtained by contacting info@rmt.org.uk or call the freephone helpline 0800 376 3706 G Write a letter to your newspaper. Model letters can be downloaded from the RMT website www.rmt.org.uk OFFICERS RATINGS UK Other EEA Other Total UK Other EEA Other Total 2000-01 896 40 187 1123 449 19 455 923 2001-02 3206 206 1204 4616 1685 176 2909 4770 2002-03 2980 536 1638 5154 2021 632 3766 6419 2003-04 3009 531 2593 6133 1811 489 4115 6415 No of Companies No of Vessels of which UK flag 2000-01 15 187 2001-02 42 520 297 2002-03 64 737 351 2003-04 67 755 403 www.rmt.org.uk www.rmt.o g 7