FIGHTING FOR THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: june 2018 :: RMTnews 12 Delegates to RMT's Shipping BGM are joined by Isle of Man Infrastructure Minister Ray Hamer to mark the historic breakthrough in the public ownership of the Steam Packet. As the RMT docks and shipping bi-annual general meeting met in Douglas news came in that the Isle of Man government was to take the lifeline Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (IoMSP) into public ownership. Speaking at conference RMT national secretary Steve Todd said that it was good news for RMT members and passengers that the IoMSP, currently owned by Portuguese financiers Banco Espirito Santo, was being taken into the public ownership. “We have been in regular contact with the Manx Government over the future of the Steam Packet and this was one of the best options on the table, although we will need to nail down the terms of the transfer to ensure that terms and conditions, including pensions of our members, are not adversely affected. “We also need to secure commitment around the training of the next generation of Manx and UK seafarers who will deliver the Isle of Man Steam Packet services for islanders and visitors for the decades to come, on new vessels. “We have developed a good working relationship the Minister for Infrastructure Ray Harmer with whom to discuss this very promising development,” he said. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that the Isle of Man government’s decision was a vindication of RMT’s support for public ownership and operation of ferry services across the British Isles. “We will take soundings from our members on the Steam Packet and look to work with the Manx government to provide a publicly operated Isle of Man Steam Packet fleet that is properly invested in, both in terms of crew and vessels to fight back against the challenges from aviation and low cost operators, who must continue to be excluded from any new Strategic Sea Services Agreement,” he said. This development was tempered by the fact that the next public contract for the Northern Isles Ferry services from the mainland to Orkney and Shetland will now be put out to tender. The union was disappointed by the Scottish government’s reluctance to take the Northern Isles contract in-house on a permanent basis. “We will continue the fight to release lifeline Scottish ferry services from the pro-private restrictions of EU tendering requirements and for full protection of our members’ jobs, pensions and terms and conditions as we enter another expensive and unnecessary tendering process. “We look forward to a positive campaign in support of the public sector bid to Nationalise NorthLink in the long-term interests of passengers, workers, communities, businesses and taxpayers on Orkney, Shetland and mainland Scotland,” said Mick Cash. RMT shipping member Brian Reynolds was elected to chair the BGM and got events under way with a packed agenda, including 34 motions and a range of guest speakers, showing that the shipping side of the union remains vibrant and forward looking with a work programme to match. Steve Todd introduced his report and took delegates through the extensive range of activities of the maritime sector of the union over the past two years. He focussed in on a number of core areas where RMT has targeted the resources of the SOS2020 campaign, notably Condor Ferries and the Ships of Shame in Scottish waters with the union’s success in ramming the message home demonstrated in the victory in enforcing the National Minimum Wage on Seatruck freight vessels chartered by Serco on the Northern Isles contract. Steve also paid tribute to members on Orkney Ferries who, after a long campaign of industrial action, managed to secure an acceptable pay offer from the company. Members at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary meanwhile still find themselves subject to the Government’s one per cent pay cap with the union determined to break that austerity ceiling and secure a fair deal on the RFA in the current round of negotiations. Delegates thanked Steve Todd for his report back and then moved on to the first block of motions, endorsing the work that has gone into the Nationalise Northlink campaign and the recent successes on both CalMac and P&O Ferries in terms of apprenticeship schemes, work that now needs to be rolled forwards alongside the broader objectives of SOS2020. Belfast Shipping’s motion on lifeboat safety brought a particularly strong response from the BGM floor. Pointing out that it is a disgrace in this day and age that RMT members were still being expected to put life and limb at risk with outdated, so-called safety training that is known to result in 70 per cent of deaths at sea. FIGHTING FOR THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY Isle of Man ferries taken in-house as 2018 Docks and Shipping grades meet in Douglas