BADGE FOR DINNIE

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: october 2020 :: RMTnews 9 R MT has registered its support for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s detention of the Maltese registered offshore supply vessel, Ben Nevis in Aberdeen this month for infringements of the Maritime Labour Convention. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that the union had warned at the start of the pandemic that seafarer welfare standards would suffer from the arrival of more ships in the North Sea with exploited crew on board. “Operators in the oil and gas and renewables sector must improve due diligence in their supply chains to raise employment standards and increase jobs for local seafarers. “Ratings on the Ben Nevis are paid a basic $6.35 per hour, which is illegal on these routes but the employer is trying to get out of paying even that. “It is good to see the MCA using their Port State Control powers to protect crew from this sort of abuse but we cannot continue to let charter parties off the hook when the illegal treatment of seafarers is exposed,” he said. Aberdeen RMT branches have struck a badge in memory of Donald Dinnie the RMT member who died when the 06:38 Aberdeen to Glasgow service crashed on August 12 near Stonehaven. They commissioned 1,600 badges to begin with and asked for minimum donations of £5 per badge. The requests for badges were so huge that another 1,000 were commissioned to make sure there was enough for everyone that would like one. For badges contact by text: Ann Joss mobile number 0777 971 5958 or Jim Gray on 07921 943015. The money will be distributed to the families in November and any monies that come in from the badges after that will be divided between RMT Orphans’ fund and the Scottish Air Ambulance Charity which was a charity that Donald supported and one which provided an invaluable service on the day of the 1T08 tragedy. Further lives were saved when off-duty guard and RMT member Nicola Whyte was travelling to work for ScotRail on the fateful service when it derailed near Stonehaven. Her safety-critical training kicked in when she realised the train had crashed and rear protection was required. As there was no mobile phone signal she walked to a signal box to call for help despite her injuries. Scotrail hailed the brave off- duty conductor who walked three miles from the derailed Stonehaven train to raise the alarm as a “credit” to the north-east. The Evening Express Aberdeen’s Champion Awards judges wanted to recognise her bravery by awarding her a special recognition accolade. Evening Express editor Craig Walker said: “The Stonehaven train derailment shocked everyone in the north-east but Nicola’s actions that day showed real heroism. “I’m so pleased we could honour what she did at the Aberdeen’s Champion awards,” he said. Alex Hynes, managing director at Scotrail, also expressed his thanks to Nicola. “Our hearts remain broken and will do for a very long time. But in these most distressing circumstances, there is some cause for some hope and that’s because of the actions of a very special person – our conductor Nicola Whyte. “Nicola went way above the call of duty when it was needed most and helped raise the alarm for those who needed the attention of the emergency services. “She is a huge credit to her family, to the city of Aberdeen and to ScotRail, and from the bottom of our hearts we would like to thank Nicola for everything that she has done,” he said. BADGE FOR DONALD Aberdeen RMT branches produce badge in honour of member tragically killed in Stonehaven crash COASTGUARD DETAINS SHIP FOR EXPLOITATION OF CREW