ORGANISING AT ROYAL FLEET AUXILIARY

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: november/december 2023 :: RMTnews 10 The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). It is a component of the Royal Navy and provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by providing fuel and stores through replenish- ment at sea, transporting British Army personnel, providing medical care and transporting equipment and essentials around the world, at times, to operating war zones. The RFA also acts independently providing humanitarian aid, counter piracy and counter narcotic patrols together with assisting the Royal Navy in preventing conflict and securing international trade. They are a uniformed civilian branch classed as Civil Servants of the MoD and crewed by registered British merchant seafarers. RMT has recognition to organise all Ratings grades at the RFA which is also the biggest employer of civilian UK seafarers in the shipping industry. RMT officials and myself visited vessels in Merseyside, Portland and Plymouth to meet members and update them on the ongoing situation regarding the RFA pay offer of 4.5 per cent for substantive grades and five per cent for apprentices and cadets. Members clearly voiced their concerns over the acute shortage of hands onboard RFA ships across all departments as well as registering their discontent with the pay offer. RFA is suffering from a recruitment and retention problem as the number of new staff is not matching the number leaving the organisation due to the erosion of terms and conditions, plus the 18 per cent pay gap between other blue light employers and wider disparities across the maritime sectors. RFA’s apprenticeship programme is welcome but it is not sufficient to address these problems. During the visits to ships, RMT officials took the opportunity to increase the number of RFA potential new members giving them information on the benefits of being a member in the RFA and the union’s wins over time, demonstrating the value of being heard and having a voice. Ships RFA Fort Victoria, Tide Race, Tide Surge, Tide Spring, Argus, Lyme Bay and the newly delivered Multi Role Ocean Surveillance ships in the Fleet, Sterling Castle and Proteus were visited over by myself, assistant national secretary and RFA lead officer Mark Carden and RMT maritime organiser Ian Boyle. RFA PAY In September 2023, RFA management met with RMT to discuss the pay offer and look at possible soft options to ease in the pay offer and to implement it in the November payroll but no such options were suggested by management. The union suggested an increase in allowances, leave parity and increasing the final pension food emolument daily rate to help ease the pay implementation. Unfortunately, this was dismissed by senior civil servants and management. RMT was told that the RFA’s hands were tied by the Treasury and the pay award was out of their control. RMT representatives asked ORGANISING AT ROYAL FLEET AUXILIARY RMT Royal Fleet Auxiliary convenor Ian Parkin outlines the issues facing members