DECLINE IN UK SEAFARERS CONTINUES

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: march 2021 :: RMTnews 9 Only a third of holders of Maritime and Coastguard Agency seafarer certification are UK nationals, with the overall number broadly stable at 42,920, according to the latest estimate from the Department of Transport. The figures also revealed that UK nationals accounted for just 19 per cent of the 86,140 seafarers active at sea working for companies within the membership of the UK Chamber of Shipping. RMT has long argued that this proportion was declining even as the number of jobs in the industry was increasing overall. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that while the shipping industry claimed that it was seeking a level commercial playing field UK seafarers continued to face unfair competition from low cost labour. “We must end shipowners’ use of loopholes to exploit overseas seafarers with minimal employment rights on voyage contracts. “The number of seafarer jobs in the industry actually increased by over 19,000 but the proportion held by UK seafarers fell to 19 per cent. “This is no way to prepare for a green economic recovery and these figures do not include the near 1,000 UK ratings jobs lost in the second half of the pandemic as employers like P&O chose to slash local seafarers’ jobs instead of furloughing these key workers. “If ‘levelling up’ is more than a mantra, the government must take action now to train more seafarer apprentices and employ more British Ratings. “A failure to do so will see the fall out from the crew change crisis drive down jobs, pay and training opportunities for UK seafarers, especially for younger people in our key port towns and cities,” he said. The number of UK certificates of competency issued was 27,400, and the number of certificates of equivalent competency 11,200. Of these certificates, some 15,370 were held by UK nationals. The majority held CoCs (13,270), with a further 1,710 holding yacht certificates, 300 holding tug and inshore craft certificates and 90 holding CECs. An estimated 22,970 UK seafarers were active at sea in 2020. These included 11,050 certificated officers, 1,210 uncertificated officers and 9,060 ratings, with a further 1,660 officer cadets in training at sea in the 2019/20 financial year. The number of non-UK nationals with valid CECs has been stable since 2018, with 11,115 of these seafarers in 2020. Together, Polish, Filipino, Ukrainian, Russian and Romanian nationals accounted for around 57 per cent of non- UK officers holding UK CECs. RMT has said that a fire on the Lithuanian registered Finlandia Seaways in April 2018 which resulted in the withdrawal of the vessel from the Rosyth- Zeebrugge route by the owners, DFDS, was down to commercial pressures. A recent Maritime Accident Investigation Branch’s report said that the catastrophic main engine failure caused serious structural damage to the engine and a fire in the engine room. The vessel’s third engineer, who was on duty in the engine room at the time, suffered serious smoke-related lung, kidney and eye injuries during his escape. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that the hard working seafarers on board, some of whom were paid well below the National Minimum Wage, were lucky to avoid more serious consequences from an exploding engine. “They were let down by a series of failures in the repair and maintenance regime overseen by the shipowner, DFDS and the classification society Lloyds Register which stemmed from the decision to outsource engine repair work. “This avoidable accident led to the withdrawal of the Finlandia Seaways and the permanent closure of the Rosyth-Zeebrugge route. “Scotland remains without a regular roll-on roll-off ferry link to the continent as a result, whilst DFDS has re-deployed the Finlandia Seaways in the Baltic Sea. This raises serious questions over the affect of the business model in the ferries industry on crew safety and economic resilience. “RMT will be calling on the Scottish and UK governments to take action in light of this report,” he said. The MAIB made a recommendation for DFDS to take advice to minimise the risk of a similar catastrophic engine failure, and any other vessel operators whose MAN engines might have been subjected to similar maintenance practices. DECLINE IN UK SEAFARERS CONTINUES FERRY SAFETY CALLED INTO DOUBT RMT raises serious safety concerns over commercial pressures on seafarers and ferry services CONCERN: The engine room after the fire