RFA SEAFARERS BACK STRIKE ACTION

5 RMT seafarers employed by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) have voted overwhelming for strike action after manage- ment could not even demonstrate that it was complying with minimum wage legislation. Members at RFA voted by nine to one against the latest pay offer which clearly fell short of expectations based on years of dedication and service.  Seafarers can routinely work up to 12 hours a day and there remains no clear or transparent formula setting out how pay is calculated against those hours. During previous industrial action, some of the lowest- paid RFA workers faced deductions of £87 for a single day, showing how little RFA believed they were being paid. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said that it was a scandal that RFA could not even work out its own pay rates. "Years of real terms falling behind in pay have left RFA seafarers worse off, and management still cannot show if all of our members are even being paid at least the minimum wage for the hours they are required to work. “The absence of a transparent system for calculating pay, combined with excessive working hours, has created an unsustainable situation. "Our members deserve a pay deal that reflects the work they do, deals with the issue around complying with legal minimum standards and addresses the recruitment and retention crisis now facing the service. “RFA members are proud seafarers and this latest slap in the face will only add to a deepening crisis, it is time for the RFA and the Ministry of Defence to get around the table with this union,” he said. The union has said that investment in the RFA is the only way to end the recruitment and retention crisis which has dogged the service for over 15 years. Moreover, improvements in the application of merchant shipping legislation are essential to the future flexibility and effectiveness of the RFA's operational support to the Royal Navy. Union slams employer for not paying minimum wage on RFA ships RFA SEAFARERS BACK STRIKE ACTION