SEAFARERS’ EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS UPDATE

RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: november/december 2008 :: RMTnews 8 January 10, 2009 11am - 3 pm Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, London NW1 Speakers Brian Caton, POA General Secretary Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary Professor Mary Davis John McDonnell MP Mark Serwotka, PCS General Secretary Chair: RMT president John Leach The need for effective working-class political representation has never been greater. The world’s economies have been plunged into recession on the back of a banking crisis caused by the unregulated greed of corporate bosses. Workers who have seen bosses raking in record profits in recent years now find themselves in fear of losing their jobs and having their pay and living standards cut. RMT’s 2008 annual general meeting agreed to organise a national conference for trade unionists to discuss the crisis in political representation. Please register in advance at info@rmt.org.uk, or write to RMT, Unity House, 39 Chalton Street, London, NW1 1JD. D over MP and Parliamentary Group member Gwyn Prosser MP tabled an amendment to the Employment Bill which would extend the minimum wage for non UK seafarers, operating between UK Ports and in the UK Offshore sector. Prior to the debate in November, RMT regional organiser Phil McGarry was part of a Scottish TUC delegation to the Employment Minister and Scottish Labour MPs. He briefed MPs and raise the seafarer’s case with the Minister. Aberdeen MP Ann Begg had also tabled a parliamentary motion attacking the fact that UK ships, including ferry services, are allowed to pay poverty wages below the minimum wage to non-UK seafarers including as little as £295 basic monthly pay. Unfortunately, Gwyn Prosser’s amendment, which received strong support from MPs, was not called due to insufficient parliamentary time. The campaign, however, continues and as RMT News goes to press, the RMT Parliamentary Group of MPs is meeting new Secretary of State for Transport Geoff Hoon on the issue. The government has also published the Equality Bill in the Queens Speech and previously indicated that the Bill, in response to the unions campaigning and a complaint to the European Commission, will contain amendments to the Race Relations Act which would remove discriminatory pay rates against EU nationals serving on UK ships. The union will be seeking to use the progress of the Bill to press for the strongest protections to outlaw pay discrimination between seafarers. F ollowing consistent union pressure, the government has agreed to withdraw proposed changes to Seafarers Earnings Deductions that would have hit seafaring members affected very hard. HM Revenue and Customs had planned to introduce guidance in December 2008 which would restrict the application of the tax break to seafarers who work in the offshore oil and gas industry. However, RMT parliamentary group member Katy Clark put down early day motion 891, which has been signed by over 70 MPs, opposing the move. The EDM expressed concerned that such a move would adversely affect thousands of seafarers many of whom work on low wages. RMT national secretary Steve Todd said that the treasury was clearly embarrassed by the original announcement, opposed by the maritime unions and the Chamber of Shipping. He said that the government had also stated that construction, construction support, well service and dive support vessels will continue to be classified as ships for the purposes of SED. “New guidelines are now being drawn up and it is clear that any decision will not be retrospective and most seafarers, if not all, will be able to claim SED,” he said. A draft document is expected before the New Year and RMT will be fully involved in the consultation process. SEAFARERS’ EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS UPDATE SEAFARERS EARNINGS DEDUCTIONS VICTORY THE CRISIS IN WORKING-CLASS POLITICAL REPRESENTATION CONFERENCE