NAUTILUS P01 OCTOBER 2010.qxd - Nautilus International

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04 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2010 NAUTILUS AT WORK shortreports UNION MOVE: members serving with Union Transport are being consulted on proposals to improve leave, offered by management following a series of approaches from Nautilus over this year’s pay and conditions claim. The company says it is unable to increase pay at present, but says the additional leave is worth 2% overall. Nautilus is recommending acceptance of the offer. ST HELENA OFFER: members employed by Andrew Weir Shipping onboard RMS St Helena are being consulted on a proposed 1% pay offer, backdated to 1 January. Industrial officer Jonathan Havard said the Union had welcomed the move away from an earlier proposed pay freeze and is recommending acceptance of the offer. PNTL PAY: Nautilus is consulting members serving in the Pacific Nuclear Transport fleet after securing a ‘full and final’ 1% pay offer in talks last month. Industrial officer Gary Leech said it was clear the offer was the best that could be achieved through negotiations and members are being urged to accept it. LCT DRAFT: Nautilus has presented LCT Support Services management with a draft memorandum of understanding for a recognition agreement covering members working in the port of Newhaven. Officials are due to meet the company early this month in the hope of finalising an agreement. WESTMINSTER DEAL: consultations among members serving with Westminster Dredging have shown unanimous support for accepting the company’s pay and conditions offer. Nautilus will now be meeting management to discuss proposals for revised terms and conditions. ABP TALKS: Nautilus and T&G Unite are arranging talks with Associated British Ports over a collective bargaining agreement for Humber pilots. The discussions follow a ballot showing more than 82% of pilots in favour of recognition of the unions. RFA FLIGHTS: following talks with management, members serving with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary are being consulted on the flights policy for the Gulf. WYNDHAMS CLAIM: Nautilus has presented a claim for an inflation-linked pay rise for members serving with Wyndhams Management Services. Nautilus industrial officer is pictured above with members serving on Svitzer tugs in the port of Swansea. The visit was arranged to discuss a number of issues with members. R. H. BRADSHAW COWBRIDGE TAX SERVICES Mill Brow Brookfield Park Road Cowbridge South Glamorgan CF71 7HJ Tel/Fax 01446 771536 E.Mail marine@onetel.com 100% FED CLAIMS AND FORECASTS ELECTRONIC LODGEMENT – NO MORE WAITING FOR THE REVENUE New campaign for lifeline ferry routes Nautilus warns Scottish government of the need to put safety first Nautilus industrial officer is pictured above left with Captain Alan Blakeley and chief officer Ian Henderson onboard the CalMac ferry Jupiter and, right, with chief officer Derek Dove, chief engineer Granville Broughton and Captain Dave Smith onboard the CalMac Ferry Bute during a series of ship visits to kick off consultations on a proposed single agreement for members serving on the Clyde and Western Isles services PNautilus is taking part in a major new campaign against any new moves to cut back or sell off Scottish ferry services. The Union has warned the Scottish government that safety has to come first in any changes arising from its review of the country’s ferry operations. And last month Nautilus and the RMT held a public meeting in Oban to press the case for opposition to any attempts to privatise services or cut the pay and conditions of seafarers. Assistant general secretary Paul Moloney told the meeting that the interests of the public and the seafarers were identical. ‘We need to have ferry services that are safe and efficient, and do not cut corners,’ he pointed out. Whilst some people might think seafarers had very good terms and conditions, it was important that working hours and leave are carefully controlled to prevent fatigue as a Nautilus welcomes NorthLink U-turn ANautilus International has welcomed a U-turn by Scottish transport minister Stewart Stevenson on proposals for £1m worth of cuts in funding for the lifeline ferry services to the northern isles. Transport minister Stewart Stevenson told convenors of the Shetland and Orkney islands councils last month that plans to seek the savings have been shelved because the NorthLink Ferries operations performed better than expected. The minister announced last March that NorthLink would have to make immediate cuts of £300,000 followed by a further saving of £700,000 this winter, but now he says the plans have been dropped in the current financial year. ‘We are looking for further improvements in the performance of the contract which will allow us to maintain efficient ferry services, as well as respond to the challenges on public spending,’ he added. Nautilus assistant general secretary Paul Moloney welcomed the decision, and said it proved that publicly-owned ferry services can deliver a safe, efficient and costeffective service for the Scottish public. ‘The statement shows again that Scotland’s publicly owned ferry services not only provide the safest possible service but do so costeffectively,’ he added. ‘This fact needs to be recognised in the conclusions of the Scottish Executive’s review into publiclyfunded ferry services — ending once and for all the myth that privatisation will somehow deliver a safer and cheaper service.’ Princess Cruises pay talks Nautilus is conducting a series Aof ship visits to meet members on Princess Cruises vessels ahead of forthcoming pay and conditions negotiations. As part of the company’s development programme, it has been proposed that pay and conditions for its officers will be conducted separately from the rest of the result of intensive and stressful operations, he stressed. RMT general secretary Bob Crow told the meeting: ‘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,’ he warned. Nautilus has also submitted detailed evidence to the Scottish government public consultation on the review of Scottish ferries. The Union stresses that safety is by far the most important issue for users of the services and must not be put at risk by short-term costcutting policies. ‘Scotland’s publicly-funded ferry services deliver a safety record that is second to none Carnival UK group. Senior national secretary Paul Keenan said members have been asked to submit their views on the contents of the pay and conditions claim, and further ship visits will be held with negotiations due to start at the end of October. ‘We are aiming to get an agreement reached before January,’ he added. Nautilus officials Steve Doran Fand Blossom Bell are pictured during a meeting with around 100 new officer trainees at South Tyneside College last month. The meeting was arranged to give the cadets an insight into the benefits and services offered by the Union and the work that Nautilus is undertaking on behalf of trainees following the recent survey of their CV Professionals (formerly CV Plus) Merchant Navy CV & resume specialists www.cvprofessionals.co.uk throughout Europe and the rest of the world,’ the submission states. ‘We believe any changes must not only respect and maintain this, but where possible enhance the record.’ Nautilus warns that a common theme in recent accident investigations has been fatigue, and it is therefore essential that the review does not result in cutbacks to crewing levels on Scottish ferries. Urgent investment in new ships is also vital, Nautilus argues, so that safety is not compromised by an increasingly ageing fleet that requires additional maintenance. The submission cautions against the tendering of ‘cherry-picked’ routes and urges the Scottish government not to put services out to tender with ‘flexible’ covering requirements. ‘Our extensive experience shows that “flexibility” within the passenger and freight sectors always leads to cutbacks on training and on manning levels,’ the Union adds. views and experiences, and their pay and conditions. Nautilus also staged a workshop to discuss the industry’s drug and alcohol policies, including background information on the issues and case histories to show the potential problems of drug and alcohol abuse at sea. The event included an open session, with questions and answers. To advertise in the Telegraph please contact: CENTURY ONE PUBLISHING 01727 893 894
October 2010 | nautilusint.org | telegraph | 05 NAUTILUS AT WORK More talks on P&O job losses With the closure of P&O AFerries’ Portsmouth-Bilbao service set to take effect at the end of last month, Nautilus was taking part in a series of negotiations over the potential impact on jobs and conditions. The company presented the Union with details of proposed new placement arrangements for officers. Management have sought to avert redundancies by transferring members to other services, in line with a clause under which officers may be required to serve on other ships and to sail out of other ports. However, following legal advice on the company’s proposals, Nautilus is arguing that a redundancy situation does exist and that members should have been consulted in line with statutory provisions. Senior national secretary Paul Keenan said members are being advised to contact the Union if they believe they have not been offered suitable alternative employment. Nautilus is also discussing the details of a proposed independent study of fatigue on the shortsea routes. Industrial officer Jonathan Havard said the research is being planned to assess whether there are health and safety reasons why roster patterns other than one week on/one week off should not be used on the Dover-based ships. Red Funnel plans cuts in services Nautilus has met Red Funnel Amanagement to begin discussions over cost-cutting plans tabled by management last month. The company has told the Union it needs to make savings because 2010 has turned out to be a tough year, with revenue down by £1.4m. It has proposed reducing sailings of its high-speed craft by around 17% and reducing ro-ro sailings by around 3%. Management has formally written to Nautilus to begin consultations on resulting redundancies. Industrial officer Gavin Williams said it was not initially clear how many jobs are at risk, but the Union has arranged a series of meetings to discuss the proposals and to get feedback from members during the 30-day consultation period. ‘It is our intention to protect as many jobs as possible,’ he said. Nautilus industrial officer Steve Doran is pictured with members from the Marine Scotland Compliance vessel Norna following a ship visit in Leith with T&G Unite official Sandy Smart. The fisheries protection vessel is being taken out of service, and Nautilus has been involved in discussions over the resulting surplus of crew. Mr Doran said the Union is continuing negotiations with management over the changes created by the fleet reorganisation, including the TUPE transfer arrangements for members serving with Marr Vessel Management. Maersk flag move alarm Singapore plans raise Union concerns over strategy PNautilus International has expressed concern at AP Moller-Maersk plans to put more than 30 new ships onto the Singapore flag during the next three years. The local Straits Times newspaper said the company had been attracted by the initiatives being taken by the Singapore government to develop its maritime industry. But the announcement has prompted further concerns about Maersk’s long-term commitment to the UK flag and to its Dutch and British seafarers. Maersk already has almost 80 ships flagged in Singapore, and is planning to put more than half of the 58 ships it has on order onto the island’s register in a flag rationalisation strategy that is reported to have Denmark as ‘the preferred choice’ in Europe and Singapore in Asia. The company said it had been attracted by the tax regime in Singapore, as well as its stable maritime policies, the flexible rules regarding seafarers’ qualifications, and the good reputation Singapore-flagged vessels enjoyed around the world. Nautilus assistant general secretary Paul Moloney said he was disturbed by the developments. ‘This is another example of the company preferring a low-cost rather than a cost-effective approach. ‘Last year, it described the situation as a crisis of historic proportions — but this year it has made a profit of historic proportions,’ he pointed out. Mr Moloney said Nautilus is continuing to press management over its policies for the employment and training of western European officers. ‘We are trying to persuade the company to enter into agreements that provide some comfort for British, Dutch and Danish seafarers,’ he added. ‘Unless the company is prepared to reach such agreements with us and other unions, then any increased influence that Singapore has will be viewed with suspicion and concern by our members.’ zNautilus has raised formal complaints with Maersk over problems with members being relieved on time. Industrial officer Ian Cloke said there had been an increase in reports from members who had not been able to leave their ship as scheduled. ‘We recognise that there may be difficulties from time to time, and in certain parts of the world, but it appears that the problem has increased in recent times and has been exacerbated by tonnage coming back into service,’ he added. The Union has also raised members’ concerns over the payment of expenses, and has been advised that the travel and reimbursement policy should be followed. Assurances have also been given on the provision of improved internet access in the fleet. shortreports STENA MEETING: Nautilus reps met Stena Line management in Harwich last month to discuss concerns about changes arising from the introduction of the new Stena Britannica, Stena Transfer and Stena Freighter. Industrial officer Steve Doran said four engineer officer redundancies have been proposed, although no compulsory job losses are envisaged. However, the Union is pressing management for a response to issues around proposed attendance patterns. GLOBAL SUBMISSION: Nautilus has submitted a claim for a 6% pay rise for members serving with Global Marine Systems. The submission — based on RPI plus a premium — was made at last month’s partnership committee meeting following agreement by officer reps. Industrial officer Jonathan Havard said he is hoping the company will respond this month, and a bulletin will be issued with details of the other points raised at the meeting. KNIGHT DEAL: consultations among members serving with JP Knight have shown a three to two majority in favour of accepting an improved pay and conditions offer, giving a 1% pay increase over 10 months. Industrial officer Jonathan Havard said he is now pressing the company over members’ concerns about travel from the ship being classed as a leave day. THAMES PROGRESS: Nautilus met senior management at Thames Clippers last month for the first formal discussions over a proposed recognition agreement. Industrial officer Jonathan Havard described the meeting as positive and said the Union has subsequently submitted a draft memorandum of understanding for an agreement. PLA PROPOSAL: Nautilus has submitted a pay and conditions claim for members employed by the Port of London Authority, seeking an RPI plus 1% increase. Industrial officer Jonathan Havard said he is hoping to meet management this month to discuss the submission. More talks on NERC pay Nautilus industrial officer Jonathan Havard is pictured with members AJames (Hamish) Gibson, Paul Bidmead, Jo Cox, Will Whatley and Steve Eadie following a meeting onboard the British Antarctic Survey ship Ernest Shackleton in Frederickshavn, Denmark, last month. The meeting was also attended by members from the James Clark Ross and was held to discuss a number of issues, including the pay and conditions claim. Mr Havard said a joint meeting involving Nautilus and the RMT has subsequently taken place at the BAS headquarters, with the unions indicating to management that they would be prepared to consider a twoyear deal. The talks also covered other issues, including an increase in earned leave and the unilateral withdrawal of the Antarctic allowance for NOCS members. ‘We are still pushing management on this, arguing that it should be either given back or bought out,’ Mr Havard added. For further information on the above courses, please contact Vikas Patra, Head of Maritime Enterprise on: +44(0) 151 231 2572 or +44 (0) 7733 202 762 email: v.patra@ljmu.ac.uk or into.eng@ljmu.ac.uk web: www.ljmu.ac.uk/eng • Liverpool John Moores University, James Parsons Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
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