TURNING THE TIDE

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: may 2016 :: RMTnews 18 R MT’s Dover office, venue for the 2016 Docks and Shipping Grade’s biennial conference, was decked out in specially commissioned signage to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1966 NUS strike. This was an appropriate home for the gathering as it was one of the centres of the strike and the port remains an RMT stronghold to this day. Conference opened with a report from national secretary Steve Todd which set out the work of the union’s shipping sector over the past two years with a major focus on RMT’s campaigning activities in defence of jobs, safety and working conditions in the industry. Steve emphasised the on- going fight to retain Calmac’s Clyde and Hebrides operations in the public sector and warned that a further threat to Scottish Ferries would be posed by the scheduled retendering of the Northern Isles services. RMT has played in the fight to defend the threatened maritime offices and he paid a tribute to all of the RMT branches, activists and members who have been the front line in the defence of the UK shipping industry. The Parliamentary eeport was delivered by Ian Mearns MP the union’s new RMT’s Parliamentary Convenor after John McDonnell stood down after taking over as Shadow Chancellor. He explained how the group was campaigning against the vindictive and class-based attack on workers by the Tory government and their Trade Union Bill. “These Tories claim to be patriotic and then they go and sell off our national assets to overseas speculators and allow the wholesale flagging out of Britain’s once-proud shipping industry,” he said. A major debate developed around a motion from the Dover branch on how shipping company’s abuse agreed rostering patterns enabling them to open the door to social- dumping of cheap labour on an industrial scale. Delegates called on the union to step up its long- term and on-going campaign in this crucial area. A motion on mental health awareness in the maritime industry led to a discussion which highlighted just how crucial this subject has become and the importance of stripping away the taboos that surround it. Speakers made it clear that mental health and well-being has to be factored in centrally in negotiations and should be raised directly as an issue with all companies that the union is in contact with. During the debate it was pointed out by a number of delegates that the “two on, two off” work pattern in the shipping industry increases the isolation of workers, cutting them off from direct contact with friends and family and creating a pressure cooker effects where stress builds up to the point where it becomes a major health issue. Conference congratulated the union for the pioneering work that it has been involved in through training and education courses that put mental health centre stage as a workplace and trade union issue. The motion was carried unanimously. Portsmouth branch’s motion on the potential dilution of the safety culture in the shipping industry through the introduction of a “tick-box” approach which doesn’t follow established reporting formats and language sparked off an interesting discussion on the constantly changing threats and challenges facing safety reps. Delegates called on the union to remain constantly vigilant in dealing with sharp practices from the employers side. A raft of other motions, covering subjects as diverse as the Maritime Labour Convention, digital subscriptions to the Morning Star, recruitment and the National Port Advisory Committees were all carried by the conference. Garry Hassell from the Head Office safety team gave a well- received report, focusing on the TURNING THE TIDE This year’s docks and shipping grade’s conference celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 1966 NUS strike