ORGANISING ON ORKNEY

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: november/december 2017 :: RMTnews 18 I spent some very interesting and productive days organising seafarers at three ferry operators on Orkney along with regional organiser Gordon Martin and Donald Graham from RMT’s organising unit last month. Our organising activities began at Northlink with a well- attended meeting on board the MV Hamnavoe where forthcoming pay negotiations were discussed and members present contributed fully to discussions and voiced their aspirations regarding pay and conditions. Gordon Martin led a discussion on the union's Nationalise Northlink! campaign with many excellent contributions from the floor. This was a really positive meeting with 100 per cent support for the RMT campaign to end private operators making money out of lifeline ferry services. The members clearly understand the reasons for the union's campaign and will continue to play an active role in helping to spread our principled position of public ownership to their families and friends on Orkney and beyond. As Chair of the Northlink Port Committee, I highlighted how Aberdeen Shipping branch would continue to work closely with the union to ensure we have as many members as possible in RMT and to ensure information gets from the union to the members at Northlink. In recent years we have significantly increased our representation structure at Northlink. This has undoubtedly strengthened our position throughout these uncertain times for all at Northlink as the Scottish government ferries review continues to deliberate on the future of the ferry industry in Scotland. The second day of our three- day organising activities took us down to the terminal at St Margaret's Hope which is home to Pentland Ferries. This is a small independent and unfortunately anti-union ferry operator where RMT has only very recently began trying to recruit and organise. Terms and conditions at this company are far from ideal but the regional organiser has visited the vessel a couple of times since the summer and we are beginning to recruit and organise these workers. Unfortunately shortly after arrival at St Margaret's Hope we were informed that the vessel had broken down at the other side which of course denied us access to the crew. This proved only to be a minor setback as we were able to make contact with members and arranged to meet up with them at a later date. While disappointed at not being able to sail with Pentland Ferries and talk to the crew about the many benefits of RMT membership we took the opportunity to meet up with interested parties on the situation of the ferry industry on Orkney. It was suggested a public meeting should be arranged and all interested parties should be ORGANISING ON ORKNEY Aberdeen Shipping branch chair Tom Causby reports on organising seafarers at three ferry operators on Orkney