ON THE third anniversary of the P&O Ferries scandal today, the TUC and seafarers’ unions are demanding urgent amendments to the Employment Rights Bill.

Three years after the unlawful sacking of 786 seafarers without notice or consultation, they are warning that the Labour government’s proposed measures against “fire and rehire” fall short of what is needed  to prevent a similar outrage from happening again.

The Unite union has said that it is a mistake for ministers to omit an outright ban on fire and rehire in the Bill, and Labour MP Andy McDonald has tabled an amendment that would allow unions to apply for legal injunctions to prevent such methods taking effect.

The TUC, RMT and Nautilus unions have backed his proposal, calling for powers for government and unions to be able to take immediate and pre-emptive legal action to block errant employers such as P&O Ferries from unlawfully dismissing workers.

They are calling for the establishment of sick pay, holiday pay, training and pension rights in the mandatory employment standards for all seafarers and flexibility to include further issues that could arise.

To reduce undercutting within the maritime sector, they have also backed lowering the threshold at which the Bill’s measures kick in. It currently applies to services that visit British ports 120 times a year, regardless of the flag of the ship or of the crew’s nationality. The unions are calling for a threshold of 52 calls instead.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “Ministers should ensure minimum standards for seafarers include key rights like sick pay and holiday pay, and they should lower the number of times a ship must visit UK ports to be liable to UK laws.” 

Nautilus general secretary and TUC president Mark Dickinson said: “We have to prevent the exploitation of seafarers in our waters and redouble efforts to deliver high-quality training and employment for our maritime professionals. Only this strategy will support growth and the resilience, security and prosperity of our nation.” 

RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: “Seafarers deserve stronger employment protections, in line with land-based workers.

“The Employment Rights Bill should apply to seafarers in full, and lowering the threshold for UK port calls would also ensure that more seafarer ratings in the shipping industry are covered by fair pay and employment conditions.”