WIGHTLINK PENSION AND CONDITIONS FIGHT

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: january 2021 :: RMTnews 13 R MT ferry workers at Wightlink have voted overwhelmingly for both strike action and action short of a strike after negotiations failed to produce an offer on pensions and terms and conditions that meets the very reasonable demands of the workforce. The ballot of all grades – from seafarers to ticket office staff at Wightlink (Guernsey) and Wightlink Ltd – is over the company’s refusal to: • Withdraw their proposal to close the Defined Benefit Pension Scheme to existing members. • Withdraw their proposal to reintroduce the flexible working practices which all employees were subject to in the first six months of the pandemic. Wightlink’s action had been particularly disgraceful due to the fact that at the height of the pandemic (April to September) employees loaned 20 per cent of their salary and gave up terms and conditions for six months to allow the company to keep trading. The company have chosen to repay the generosity of their employees by slashing their pension rights and changing their working conditions. Meanwhile, Wightlink continues to pay out millions of pounds in dividends to its various private equity owners, extracting funds from the company that should be used to support a workforce that has shown loyalty to the firm in these unprecedented times. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that members at Wightlink  were angry and frustrated that the company was slashing their pensions and terms and conditions on this lifeline service in what is real kick in the teeth for loyal and hard-working staff. “It is a particularly bitter blow in light of the fact Wightlink that employees loaned 20 per cent of their salary and gave up terms and conditions for 6 months to allow the company to keep trading at the height of the pandemic. “Disgracefully, Wightlink has managed to find the funds to pay huge dividends to the various private equity owners that have been feeding off our members’ work for the last five years,” he said. R MT has initiated a national recruitment and organising campaign targeting inshore divers, commonly referred to as ‘civils’, working nationwide. They are a group of divers who are engaged in a variety of projects varying from fish farm diving through to canals, tunnelling, ship inspection, as well as working in the wind- turbine industry. The civil engineering projects that these workers undertake are known as inshore diving or civils as a result. It is estimated that there are around 600 inshore divers working all over the UK across 70 registered employers forming the Association of Diving Contractors (ADC) and approximately the same number outside this association. Historically, this group of workers have suffered from low union representation due to the fragmented and unorganised nature of the sector and they are seeking the support and direction that a trade union offers. The union has been using the median of zoom meetings to build a campaign and strategy to improve understanding of various issues surrounding the sector. This includes issues around health and safety, welfare and pay which were found to be appalling and in desperate need of change. Whilst there was originally some scepticism regarding the impact that the union could have, the meetings were well attended and created constructive discussions into the possibility of creating a collective bargaining agreement for these workers. As a result, there has been a significant growth to over 100 members in a short period of time with positive indications that this will be increasing. To ensure the campaign’s success members have temporarily allocated to four branches Aberdeen Shipping, North East Shipping, Liverpool Shipping and Dover Shipping to welcome new inshore diver members. These branches will be participating in localised mapping exercises to identify potentials of expanding RMT membership further. WIGHTLINK PENSION AND CONDITIONS FIGHT ORGANISING INSHORE DIVERS Wightlink ferry leaving Portsmouth