MAKING WAVES IN OFFSHORE WIND

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) helped seize more than £35 million worth of drugs in the Caribbean last month. Working with the United States Coastguard and law enforcement 1.4 tonnes of cocaine was confiscated. On board RFA Mounts Bay was a MH65 helicopter, which was on patrol when what was described as a 'go fast' craft was spotted. The 'go fast' boat was then intercepted by the RFA vessel, and US Coastguard personnel then sent to stop the craft and seize its cargo. Mounts Bay's commanding officer Captain Kevin Rimell said that his crew should "feel proud" about their role in the drug bust. Staffed by merchant sailors, RFA vessels such as Mounts Bay are involved in counter- narcotics, law enforcement, disaster relief and evacuation. Last year, RFA Mounts Bay completed a ten-day aid mission in the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian, highlighting the RFA's support to those inside and outside of the military. RFA DRUGS BUST RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: march 2020 :: RMTnews 12 R MT has held talks with Italian offshore energy company Saipem, following its successful bid for a Tier 1 contract to build the £2 billion Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) wind farm off the east coast of Scotland. NnG is a joint project between EDF Renewables and Irish state energy company ESB for 54 offshore wind turbines that will generate 450MW, enough power to supply 375,000 homes in Scotland. Saipem’s £350m contract is for the engineering, procurement, construction and installation stages. Construction is due to start in June. The BiFab factory down the east coast in Burntisland has been handed a contract for eight of the turbine jackets and foundations. The rest, including the turbines themselves will be manufactured in Indonesia and assembled in Dundee, in a clear example of the need to better regulate the offshore wind supply chain in favour of local workers and their trade unions. Saipem will use the mammoth Saipem 7000, a Bahamas-registered pipe laying crane vessel on the NnG contract. ‘Low-cost’ seafarers worked on the ship when BP chartered it to decommission the Miller Platform in the North Sea in 2017. RMT was clear that it wants to work with Saipem to avoid any repeat of this exploitation on the UK Continental Shelf. The talks also centred on the ITF Continental Shelf Policy which asserts that only ITF- acceptable agreements should apply on flag of convenience vessels working in the offshore energy sector. Saipem confirmed that they are not seeking to undermine local collectively bargained terms and conditions established by RMT. The meeting with Saipem representatives concluded with a joint commitment to ensure that UK terms and conditions are respected during this and other North Sea contracts which the company might secure in the growing UK offshore wind industry. Separately, pressure is being applied at ITF level in pursuit of jobs for RMT seafarers on decent rates of pay in the offshore wind industry, including crew transfer, workboats and other ships chartered to supply specialist ships like the Saipem 7000 with crew, turbines, engineers and provisions. Getting around the table with offshore wind contractors like Saipem is another front in the fight to deliver jobs for Scottish and UK workers in the offshore wind supply chain. As part of the strategy for the sector, RMT members and officials are working hard in established offshore ports like Aberdeen and growing hubs like Grimsby to organise the thousands of seafarers that will be needed in the offshore wind sector over the next thirty years and beyond. Work with our sister offshore unions, TUC and STUC also continues to ensure that major wind farm projects off the UK coastline genuinely boost the number of trade union organised jobs, in line with ‘Just Transition’ policies. The Saipem meeting registered the union’s intent with a major Tier 1 offshore wind contractor and the industry knows that RMT is here to stay in offshore energy. MAKING WAVES IN OFFSHORE WIND JOBS: (L-R) RMT national secretary Darren Procter, John Soares (Saipem UK), Fabrizio Mari (Saipem Europe), Mauro Giovanetti (Saipem Global), and general secretary Mick