RMT NEWS RELEASE

9 November 2010
Calling Notice





Fighting for the Future of Scottish Ferries
RMT confirms schedule of public meetings

Shipping union RMT today confirmed a schedule of public meetings building support for the campaign to defend the future of Scottish ferries.

The Scottish Government review of ferry services is threatening privatisation and cuts in services, particularly the Clyde and Hebrides routes. The Government are examining the current structure and operation of existing routes and bundles which receive public subsidy.

The dates of the meetings are as follows:

• Monday 29th November – Stornoway, 7pm
• Tuesday 30th November – The Uists, afternoon meeting
• And also on Tuesday 30th November – Isle of Barra, 7pm.
• Wednesday 1st December – Brodick, Isle of Arran, 7pm
• Thursday 2nd December – Gourock, evening meeting

(details of venues to be confirmed – please check with press office)

ENDS

Further information:
Geoff Martin 0207 255 9146
07831 465 103

Week of action highlights ferries injustices

A fair ferries week of action has closed after highlighting the need for a new direction in European ferry policy and regulation.

Dockers’ and seafarers’ trade unions joined in the Fair and Safe Ferries for All event, a week-long push for European Union intervention in the ferry sector which exposed unequal working and pay conditions in the sector and the use of seafarers to carry out work that should be done by trained dockers.

Trade union members from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, the UK and Ireland targeted passenger and cargo ferry companies’ vessels with a view to establishing what campaign coordinator Norrie McVicar described as “a threshold of decency” in terms of minimum wages for all seafarers; health and safety; and to protect dockers’ work. Throughout the week the dockworker participants were able to speak to crews, passengers and vessel owners about the dangers involved in seafarers attempting cargo stowage and fastening.

On Monday the week began with a rally and demonstration outside Stena Ferries’ offices in the Hook of Holland. Delegates from the UK and Ireland held meetings with crew and passengers on board the Stena Britannica to explain the campaign objectives with regard to stamping out ‘social dumping’ in Stena Ferries. Meanwhile members of the Unite union’s dockers’ section lobbied freight drivers at the Stena Ferries Killingholm terminal.

The Spanish-flagged L'Audace – a vessel known to Belgian unions ACV Transcom and BTB for crew lashing activities in European ports and at sea - arrived in Zeebrugge on Monday. On docking it was found that the crew had unlashed the cargo prior to arrival. Unions then met with the port authorities and took action, backed up three days later by Unite members in the port of Southampton, UK, when the vessel docked there. The company has now agreed to talks with unions to prevent the same situation recurring.

The week also saw the RMT union mount a vigorous defence against Stena’s attitude to the employment of British and European seafarers, which were illustrated by comments by Stena manager Pim de Lang that British ratings are all ‘fat and tattooed’.

Norrie McVicar, ferry campaign coordinator, commented: “Thanks to this joint campaign and week of action, a number of mainstream ferry companies are entering into serious dialogue with ITF member unions to discuss a way forward. We welcome these developments and invite all the ferry industry’s leaders to work with the ITF collectively and responsibly to resolve the issues and prevent a race to the bottom on pay and conditions in this sector.”

He added: “It doesn’t stop here. Further campaign initiatives will continue to target Stena Ferries, and ITF affiliates are also waiting to hear from Northlink Ferries, Seatruck Ferries and Fastnet Line Ferries in connection with the same policy objectives. The ITF and ETF (European Transport Workers’ Federation) once again call on the European Commission to reopen discussions on the Passenger Ferry Manning Directive which was withdrawn in 2004.”

Michel Claes, General Secretary for the maritime sector of ACV Transcom, added: "Seafarers, often from outside the European Union, are being asked to take over the jobs of dockers. This is social dumping. Unions are prepared and ready to stop this, and more rigorous inspections of vessels will take place in the future.”

A further ITF week of action in the Baltic finishes today.

ENDS

Fair ferries action week under way

Trade unions have launched a week of action to push for European Union intervention in the ferry sector. The Fair and Safe Ferries for All event, which runs from 27 to 30 September, is intended to highlight unequal working and pay conditions in the sector and the use of seafarers to carry out work that should be done by safety-trained dockers.

The week commenced with a rally yesterday by dockers and seafarers from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, the UK and Ireland outside Stena Ferries’ office in Hook of Holland to protest against the company’s attitude to the employment of British and European seafarers, and against comments by Stena manager Pim de Lang Stena Manager that British ratings are all ‘fat and tattooed’.

The UK & Irish delegation travelled to the protest from Harwich on the Stena Britannica and, while on board, met with crew and passengers to explain the ITF and its member unions’ ferry campaign and why Stena Ferries is being targeted for its treatment of non-EU nationals – which includes paying Filipino seafarers 2 euros an hour. They also collected signatures for a petition calling on Stena to respect the rights of all workers to be represented by a trade union, stop forcing crew to do dockers’ work and to employ all seafarers on an equal and fair basis.

Meanwhile in Zeebrugge a delegation from the ACV Transcom and BTB unions met with the port authorities to explain their concerns over lashing (cargo stowage/fastening) being done by seafarers on some vessels calling at the port. The position and concerns of both unions and ITF was explained and noted. The port authorities confirmed that they stand by their earlier statement that lashing and securing is a dockers' job and that owners, stevedores and operators should respect the rules and regulations of lashing.

Speaking at the Hook of Holland rally, Ferry campaign coordinator Norrie McVicar, said that he was very proud to be involved with this campaign to establish a new “threshold of decency” in the ferry industry that would rid it of the charge of “institutional race discrimination” which is driving the ferry sector into a “race to the bottom” and compromising safety.

On behalf of the ITF, its European arm the ETF and its member unions he once again called on the European Commission to reopen discussions on the Passenger Ferry Manning Directive which was withdrawn in 2004.

The ITF is also holding a Baltic Week of Action from 27 September to 1 October.

Actieweek veerdiensten

Aan de leden van Nautilus International in dienst van de veerdiensten
Rotterdam, 21 september 2010
Betreft: Actieweek veerdiensten



Beste Collega’s,

Op 27 september 2010 gaan de Europese bonden van havenwerkers en zeevarenden een week lang actie voeren in de veerdiensten sector. Het oogmerk is om druk te zetten op de rederijen om afspraken te maken over havenwerk voor havenwerkers, een fatsoenlijk loon voor de niet Europese gezellen en het voorkomen van verdringing van Europese werkgelegenheid door goedkope arbeidskrachten. Deze doelstellingen zijn in 1995/1997 door de ITF vastgelegd in, wat bekend is geworden als, de “Athens policy”. Vanaf die tijd wordt geprobeerd hierover met de veerdiensten afspraken te maken. Zo ook in Nederland.

Voor wat betreft de beloning is het uitgangspunt dat de voorwaarden tenminste gelijkwaardig moeten zijn aan die in één van de landen waartussen het schip vaart. In 2000 werd met de Nederlandse reders de afspraak gemaakt om het loon voor niet Europese zeevarenden aan boord van de Nederlandse schepen in eerste instantie op te trekken tot het niveau dat de ITF voor goedkope vlag schepen als minimum stelt. Dit als een eerste stap in de richting van gelijkwaardige voorwaarden voor iedereen. Deze afspraak kreeg de goedkeuring van de ITF en de Engelse bonden. Helaas hebben de Nederlandse veerdiensten de implementatie van deze afspraak steeds getraineerd. Een laatste poging vond vorig jaar plaats.

De onwillende opstelling van de veerdiensten in het algemeen heeft er toe geleid dat de Europese bonden de druk op de veerdiensten gaan opvoeren. De actieweek is daarvan onderdeel. Wij kunnen niet anders concluderen dan dat de veerdiensten dit met hun houding over zich zelf hebben afgeroepen.

In Nederland zullen we de veerdiensten aanspreken op naleving van de eerder gemaakte afspraken. Voorts zal naleving worden bevorderd van de afspraken tussen Nautilus en de Nederlandse reders met betrekking tot de tewerkstelling van niet Europese zeevarenden. De afspraken houden in dat niet Europese zeevarenden alleen kunnen worden tewerkgesteld als een commissie vrijstelling heeft verleend.

Eén van de voorwaarden voor vrijstelling is dat er overeenstemming moet bestaan over de van toepassing zijnde loon- en arbeidsvoorwaarden; hetgeen sinds 31 december 2008 niet meer het geval is. Nu niet aan de voorwaarden voor vrijstelling wordt voldaan is tewerkstelling van niet Europese zeevarenden aan boord van Nederlandse schepen in de veerdienst sector strijdig met de betreffende regelgeving. Voor de scheepsgezellen gaat het daarbij om de Regeling Arbeids-voorziening Zeevaart (RAZ) en voor de officieren de Regeling Tewerkstelling niet EU officieren (RTO).

Wij meenden er goed aan te doen om u over de actieweek en de achtergronden daarvan te informeren. Als er nog vragen zijn aarzel dan niet om contact met ons op te nemen.

Met vriendelijke groet,

NAUTILUS INTERNATIONAL

Hylke Hylkema

Week of industrial action ferry services

To the members of Nautilus International employed by the ferry services

Rotterdam, 21 September 2010
Re.: Week of industrial action ferry services


Dear Colleagues,

On 27 September 2010 the European Unions for Dockers and seafarers are organising a week of action in the ferry services sector. The intention is to put pressure on the shipping companies to agree on arrangements concerning dock work for Dockers, a decent salary for non-European ratings and the prevention of displacement of European labour by cheap labour. In 1995/1997 these objectives were established by the ITF in, what has become known as, the “Athens policy”. It has been attempted to agree on arrangements about this with the ferry services ever since. Also in the Netherlands.

In terms of the remuneration the starting point is that the conditions must at least equal those of one of the countries between which the vessel sails. In 2000 it was agreed with the Dutch shipping companies to initially raise the salary for non-European seafarers on board the Dutch vessels up to the level which the ITF imposes as a minimum for FOC vessels. This was a first step in the direction of equal conditions for everybody. This arrangement was approved by the ITF and the English trade unions. Unfortunately the Dutch ferry services have always obstructed the implementation of this arrangement. A final attempt was made last year.

The unwilling approach of the ferry services in general is the reason why the European trade unions want to increase the pressure on the ferry services. The week of action is part of this. We cannot reach any conclusion other than that the ferry services brought this down on themselves due to their own approach.

In the Netherlands we will address the ferry services on compliance with the arrangements agreed on earlier. Moreover, compliance with the agreements between Nautilus and the Dutch vessel owners in terms of the employment of non-European seafarers will be promoted. The arrangements imply that non-European seafarers can only be employed after a committee has granted an exemption.

One of the conditions for exemption is that agreement must be in place about the applicable salary and employment conditions; which has no longer been the case since 31 December 2008. As the conditions for exemption are not met the employment of non-European seafarers on board Dutch vessels in the ferry services is in violation of the relevant regulations. For ratings this regards the Dutch Shipping Manpower Services Regulations (‘Regeling Arbeidsvoorziening Zeevaart’) and for officers the Dutch Employment non-EU Officers Regulations (‘Regeling Tewerkstelling niet EU officieren’).

We considered it appropriate to inform you about the week of industrial action and the background thereof. Should you still have any questions please feel free to contact us at your earliest convenience.

Kind regards,

NAUTILUS INTERNATIONAL

Hylke Hylkema

OBAN MEETING KICKS OFF RE-LAUNCH OF CAMPAIGN TO SAVE SCOTTISH FERRY SERVICES

Maritime union RMT today welcomed a successful re-launch meeting in Oban last night that will kick start a new drive to block any plans to privatise or cut Scottish ferry services as a result of the on-going Scottish Government review.

The well attended meeting heard from RMT General Secretary Bob Crow and National Maritime Secretary Steve Todd along with other trade union and community speakers.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said today

"Last night’s meeting is just the first of a number that we will be organising around the Highlands and Islands as we ramp up the campaign to defend Scottish ferries from cuts and privatisation.

"We know that there is a hidden agenda to cut routes, sell off profitable services and jack up fares - we will fight alongside the public to stop those moves in their tracks. If the politicians think we will sit back while these vital services are hacked back or flogged off to help bail out the bankers financial crisis they have got another thing coming.

"RMT will mobilise a massive political campaign that will force MSP's and parliamentary candidates to oppose any cuts or be exposed at the ballot box if they fail to back us on this issue.

"RMT will also ballot for industrial action if there is any attempt to cut the pay or working conditions of our members and if there is any attack on their pension rights."

ENDS



Further information:
Geoff Martin
07831 465 103
0207 255 9146

Pictures Campaign Launch

Click here for more pictures on the Dockers & Seafarers Facebook page.

First pictures

Click here for more pictures on the Dockers & Seafarers Facebook page.

Fair ferries campaign launches tomorrow

Ten years after the Scandinavian Star and Estonia disasters, trade unions from across Europe will launch a campaign for fair and safe ferries for all at a specially convened conference in Kingston upon Hull, England, tomorrow, that will then feed into a fair ferries week of action at selected European ferry ports from 27 to 30 September.

The conference will take place at the home of Hull City FC, the KC Stadium, Hull, The Circle, Walton Street, Hull, HU3 6HU (www.kcstadium.co.uk) and a press conference will be held at 12:30 – however journalists are also welcome to attend the opening and introductory sessions from 10:30.

Campaign coordinator Norrie McVicar explained: “The launch of this campaign reflects the frustration of 10 wasted years since the European Commission proposed a directive for passenger services that would have guaranteed equal working rights and conditions for EU and non-EU crews, and addressed safety concerns raised by the employment of multilingual and multinational crews. That proposed directive was quashed after intensive lobbying by shipowners.”

“The result,” he continued, “has been a decade of job losses, with long-serving crews cut and then cut again, to be replaced, if at all, with cheaper non-EU personnel, many of whom are now even being encouraged to carry out cargo handling work that has always been the preserve of safety-trained dockers.”

As well as planning the forthcoming week of action, the conference will look at ways to reinforce the ‘social dialogue’ process, with the aim of achieving a level playing field of conditions on intra-EU routes; focus on ‘social dumping’ (undercutting of existing, skilled workforce); and question ferry companies alleged to be carrying out cargo lashing (cargo stowage/fastening) on board by seafarers, rather than by dockers on shore.

The week of action will include ship visits to check working conditions and leafleting of the travelling public to explain the campaign. The text of the leaflet appears below.

The agenda of the conference is:
1. Introductions and welcome (Chair/Unite)
2. P&O Dockers dispute Hull 2009 (Unite)
3. Campaign Coordinator’s background report and update
4. Stena Ferries Dispute (Steve Todd, National Secretary, RMT)
5. National Representatives from Nautilus International, FNV, ACV, BTB, CFTDT, CGT, and SIPTU.
6. Week of Action September 27th 2010 – introduction, Frank Leys ITF Dockers; Section Secretary
7. Question & Answers
8. Round up and conclusions – Campaign Coordinator

Sessions one to four are open to press, and will be followed by a press conference at 12:30.

ENDS

For more details please contact

(In London) ITF press officer, Sam Dawson. Tel: + 44 (0)20 7940 9260. Email: dawson_sam@itf.org.uk

(In Hull) Norrie McVicar, Ferry Campaign Coordinator. Tel: +44(0)7768 652 257. Email: mcvicar_norrie@itf.org.uk

Photos will be available after the event. Please email dawson_sam@itf.org.uk if you wish to receive them.

Fair and safe ferries for all: a message to the travelling public

“Fair Trade” is not just about what kind of coffee you buy – it’s also about the rights, safety and dignity of the workers who transport cargo and passengers

More and more, seafarers working on passenger ferries similar to the one you are travelling on today are being asked – sometimes forced – to lash and secure cargo, vehicles and containers without any proper training or safety mechanisms in place. This can cause serious accidents, even fatalities.

Sometimes cargo handling is done outside the port, while the vessel is still under power, with cargo ramps or holds closed for visitors to see. This practice is unsafe and in some countries illegal.

Lashing and securing cargo is an extremely dangerous job and workers who are not properly trained can face life threatening injuries. Lashing and securing is an activity that should be done by trained and experienced dockworkers.

What’s more, many European seafarers have lost their jobs to low cost workers who are sometimes paid as little as 2 euros per hour. These seafarers are often employed on the basis that they will not complain about safety, are usually not represented by a trade union and may not have legal rights in the country that they have been brought to work in.

The company that operates the ferry you are now travelling on has been known to refuse to grant the seafarers the right to union representation and collective bargaining. Unions fear that this discriminates against some seafarers because of their nationality and because they cannot defend or represent themselves.

Unions in the countries where your vessel is trading have recently invited the company to talk about securing cargo and potential exploitation. Unfortunately they have either refused to talk or gone back on agreements they reached with unions.

European dockers’ and seafarers’ unions, who are members of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), agreed that they would campaign against cargo handling and lashing and securing by seafarers. They also said they would fight for equal and fair wages and employment conditions for all seafarers working on ferries trading on the European seas, regardless of the seafarer’s nationality.

If the company continues to disregard the rights of seafarers and dockers and to use unacceptable arrangements for lashing and securing cargo, unions may need to take industrial action - we apologise now for any inconvenience this could cause you. We hope you understand our grave concerns about safety and fairness for all on Europe’s Ferries.

To find out more about how you can support the campaign, contact campaign coordinator Norrie McVicar, Tel: +44 (0) 1224 582688, email: mcvicar_norrie@itf.org.uk

Background Information – Dockers & Seafarers Passenger /Ro Ro Ferry Campaign 2010

Background:

In 2000, in response to the Scandinavian Star and Estonia Ferry disasters the European Commission released its amended proposal for a directive on manning conditions for regular passenger and ferry services operating between member states. The proposal would have put EU and non-EU seafarers on an equal footing by granting them the same terms and conditions of employment and seeking to improve ferry safety controlling the agency abuse in the employment of multinational crews. (No common language and poor health and safety were key factors in the loss of 158 lives on the Scandinavian Star which was devastated by fire. On September 24th 1994, 852 passengers died when the passenger ferry Estonia sank).

Intensive lobbying by European shipowners against the directive eventually resulted in the withdrawal of the proposal in 2004 due to a blocking minority on the Council. A further two years of social dialogue ensued which resulted in the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) strongly condemning European shipowners’ lack of commitment to protecting employment and safety on 1 December, 2005. Deadlock on the matter has since ensued.

The European Transport Workers’ Federation said as it was about to celebrate a sad anniversary: the 10 years of procrastination and paralysis that have followed the release in 2000 of the European Commission’s amended proposal for a directive on manning conditions for regular passenger and ferry services operating between member states — the notorious manning directive.

The ETF would like to recall that had this directive been approved, a level playing field would have been created for all seafarers working on board ferries engaged in regular passenger trade in the European Union, irrespective of their nationality.

The proposal would have put EU and non-EU seafarers on an equal footing by granting them the same treatment as far as terms and conditions of employment are concerned.

The maritime stakeholders will recall that this attempt to regulate this sector has been challenged from the outset by an intense lobbying campaign by European shipowners, whose opposition to the commission’s proposal has not wavered.

Despite the favourable opinion of the European parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee, the proposal was finally withdrawn by the commission in 2004 due to a blocking minority on the council.

In 2006, 550 Irish workers lost their jobs to be replaced by low cost economy workers during the Irish Ferries dispute. The UK, France and Irish ITF affiliates’ campaign reignited the debate on a directive for passenger ferry manning conditions and resulted in gains in Irish employment legislation including the establishment of a European minimum wage scale for ferry crews. The dispute led to a strategic campaign initiative to implement the Athens Policy objectives in the North European Ferry sector. In 2007 the campaign followed up with a week of action primarily targeting Celtic Link and Norfolkline. The Norfolkline dispute and campaign culminated in our affiliate, RMT, achieving representation and bargaining rights for workers on three cross-channel ferries. RMT and Nautilus jointly secure agreements for non domicile seafarers on ferries operating on the Liverpool-Belfast route providing inroads into other Irish Sea routes operated by the company. In the case of Celtic Link the company had six vessels trading within the Irish Sea and now has only one vessel, which is now trading in the Middle East.

In 2007 at the request of the North European affiliates the ETF and ITF held a ferry sector meeting in Brussels and established a working group to revive the political and industrial campaign and subsequently in 2008 organised a lobby of the European Parliament to highlight its demands for the promotion of employment for EU nationals. In addition, in 2010 in Berlin the ITF Fair Practices Committee reviewed and updated the Athens Policy to be implemented by their affiliated organisations in the European Ferry Services sector.

In June 2009, activities by P&O Ferries at the Port of Hull, where the company was threatening to introduce non-domiciled seafarers to undertake the cargo lashing work of 30 dockworkers reignited interest amongst seafarers and dockers affiliates on further developing a joint flag of convenience/port of convenience Northern European Ferries Campaign, and led to consensus to build on the series of successes and a recognition of forthcoming dangers to current lack of real non-discriminatory collective bargaining agreement (CBA) coverage within Northern Europe. It was noted that whilst some national unions had CBA coverage for their members, many non-domicile crews are currently unprotected.

The carnage in terms of job losses continues through to 2010; Stena has threatened RMT with further job losses for the existing crew on its ferry Stena Britannica sailing from Harwich to Hook of Holland and replacing them with cheaper non-EU labour.

In France unions are in dispute with Sea France over the loss of around 600 jobs - the company has argued that it can’t compete in a market that is not a level playing field. Irish Ferries all over again!

Norrie McVicar
Fair and Safe Ferries for All
Campaign Co-ordinator