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RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: july/aug 2014 :: RMTnews
11
R
MT has demanded urgent
action from the Scottish and
UK governments, the Maritime
and Coastguard Agency over
the scandalous use of Estonian
seafarers working for CalMac
on a freight vessel between
Ullapool and Stornoway.
The seafarers are working on
the Isle of Man-flagged Clipper
Ranger, chartered by CalMac
from a company called Seatruck
under the terms of CalMac’s
contract with the Scottish
government for lifeline ferry
services on the Clyde and
Hebrides network.
Estonian ratings on the
Clipper are paid as little as
£4.19 per hour and although
CalMac have agreed to make
the payment to bring these
shippers up to the RMT rate for
ratings on the Clyde and
Hebrides network, Seatruck
have callously refused to accept
this payment, as it clearly
threatens their rotten operation.
RMT acting general secretary
Mick Cash said that the scandal
went right to the heart of the
RMT’s ‘Ships of Shame’
campaign - low cost crewing of
an Isle of Man vessel that works
between UK ports and is crewed
by Estonians employed on
poverty pay below the National
Minimum Wage.
“That is the kind of murky
and shadowy operation that is
the norm in the British shipping
industry in 2014, even on
lifeline ferry services to Scottish
island communities.
“The fact that is happening
on a route under the control of
the Scottish government raises
serious questions about just
how seriously they take the
issue of exploitation in their
own back yard.
“If Seatruck is allowed to get
away with this shocking
undermining of pay and
conditions it will enable them
to expand their operations
across the Scottish Ferry
services – destroying jobs and
decent pay and conditions in
their wake.
“It is no accident that they
are making this anti-union
stand prior to the tendering
process for the 2016-22 Clyde
and Hebrides Ferry Services
contract which starts in the
autumn,” he said.
RMT has written to all of the
authorities involved, including
the Scottish government, to
demand that they intervene to
end these practices on a ship
sailing between Ullapool and
Stornoway.
SHIPS OF SHAME: SEAFARER RATES BELOW THE NMW (SOURCE: ITF INSPECTIONS AND INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTS OF EMPLOYMENT)
OPERATOR
ROUTES
BASIC RATE OF PAY
FLAG OF VESSEL
SEAFARER NATIONALITY
Condor Ferries
Portsmouth, Poole and Weymouth to
£2.35
Bahamas
Ukrainian
Jersey and Guernsey
Streamline (MV Daroja)
Aberdeen-Lerwick;
£2.25
Cyprus
Indian & Russian
Aberdeen-Kirkwall
P&O Ferries (Irish Sea)
Larne-Cairnryan; Larne-Troon;
£4.70 (passenger)
Bahamas & Bermudan
Filipino
Dublin-Liverpool
& £3.65 (freight)
Seatruck
Heysham-Dublin; Liverpool-Dublin;
£3.66
Isle of Man and Bahamas Polish
Heysham-Warrenpoint
Seatruck
Ullapool-Stornoway
£4.19
Isle of Man
Estonian
Irish Ferries
Dublin-Holyhead; Rosslare-Pembroke
£5.55
Cyprus and Bahamas
Estonian
P&O Ferries (North Sea)
Hull-Zebrugge; Hull-Rotterdam
£4.70
Bahamas
Portuguese
Stena Line (North Sea)
Harwich-Hook of Holland
£2.39 (freight)
UK
Filipino
RMT DEMANDS ACTION OVER
SCOTTISH FERRY SCANDAL