DOVER HOSTS INTERNATIONAL MEETING

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: may 2015 :: RMTnews 6 D over Shipping branch hosted a joint meeting with the unions involved in the Ports of Dover, Calais and Zeebrugge recently. It was the second delegation from RMT and GMB, which represents port workers at P&O in Dover, to the CGT offices in Calais after the company announced proposed redundancies and wage cuts to port workers in October last year. The meeting was very productive with discussion on pay, conditions, the expansions of the ports of Dover and Calais and social dumping in the maritime sector including on Condor Ferries. Delegates represented RMT Dover Shipping along with the CGT in the Port of Calais, DFDS and P&O, GMB and the ABVV Union from Port of Zeebruuge in Belgium. There was a consensus that these meetings were very worthwhile and the way forward in order to learn from experiences and looking to improve the terms and conditions of all members. The next meeting will take place after the summer in Calais which will also include delegates from Holland and the ITF. M embers working for the Royal Navy’s lifeline supply operation the Royal Fleet Auxiliary have voted by massive majorities for both strike action and action short of a strike. The current dispute is rooted in management attempt to bulldoze through major changes that would hit staff across the board. Following lengthy discussions between the union and the RFA – the supply arm of the Royal Navy - RMT members rejected the proposed Future Development Programme. The RFA’s decision to proceed with the programme without agreement sparked a ballot of members for industrial action which delivered a massive mandate for action. The dispute involves:- • A failure to agree over banding in the competency based system. RMT believes that all existing employees should be band A or B and new entrants should be band C. • Apprenticeship terms and conditions have not been agreed and RMT believes further work needs to be done on the Under 18’s policy and hours of work for Under 18’s. • Future employment of Leading Hands. RMT does not accept the increased workload placed on the stores accounts members and admin assistants should be retained. • Tailored Schemes of Complements. A failure by RFA to provide written assurances that members’ will be deployed in the ‘right place at the right time’. We do not accept that the staffing levels proposed on TSoC vessels are adequate. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that was unfortunate that the RFA had refused to listen to union concerns in talks and had left RMT no alternative but to move to an industrial action ballot. “The issues in dispute are all about valuing a workforce that plays an integral part of the defence of the country and training that workforce for the future,” he said. RMT national secretary Steve Todd added that the union understood the importance of the role that every RFA seafarer played, but could not understand how the employer could make such massive distinctions between ranks in RFA. "When it comes to issue of pay and bonus's there is no fairness or equity and the RFA expect the lower rank of rating to fund the higher rank of officer, something we are not prepared to accept. "They now need to recognise the anger that these issues have generated, anger reflected in this ballot, and take urgent and appropriate action to resolve our grievances,” he said. ROYAL FLEET AUXILIARY STRIKE VOTE DOVER HOSTS INTERNATIONAL MEETING