04 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | January 2017
NAUTILUS AT WORK
shortreports
Nautilus urges Stena Line to increase offer
SERCO SETTLEMENT: members employed by Serco Ferries (Guernsey) Crewing have voted to accept the company’s offer of a 2% base pay increase for the 2016 pay review. Some 90% of members voted to approve the uplift in salaries, which will be post-dated from 1 October 2016. National ferry organiser Micky Smyth has written to the company to accept the offer and has thanked members for their participation in the consultation. FLINTER WORRIES: following the bankruptcy of the Dutch shipping company Flinter, Nautilus has been involved in a series of discussions to ensure that crew members are paid. Marcel van Dam, an official in the Union’s Rotterdam office, commented: ‘We are doing everything we can to ensure that members get what they are entitled to. We are busy talking with the banks to achieve the best possible settlement for employees.’ CROWN OFFICERS: two new liaison officers have been appointed to represent members employed by Crown Crewing (Jersey). Ashley Williams and David Grayson will represent members onboard Jaynee W and Whitchampion respectively. Each will serve from 1 January 2017 until 31 December 2019. Five further liaison officer roles are available onboard Keewhit, Whitchallenger, Whithaven, Whitstar and Whitonia. MERIDIAN REJECTION: Nautilus has written to Meridian Shipping Services on behalf of its members serving on the company’s ro-ro and ro-pax ferries to reject a 1.2% pay offer. National ferry organiser Micky Smyth told management the package falls below the 2% RPI inflation rate and was not sufficient to put to members for consultation. CALMAC TALKS: the third Nautilus liaison officers’ committee meeting with Caledonian MacBrayne Crewing (Guernsey) management was held in December. Items discussed included crew welfare, onboard connectivity and the sickness policy. The next joint meeting will be on Thursday 2 March 2017. P&O MEETING: issues including e-payslips, the trade union recognition agreement and the Irish Sea CBA were on the agenda at the seventh joint consultative committee meeting for members employed by P&O Crewing Services (Jersey) and P&O Irish Sea (Jersey). TRINITY ‘NO’: members employed by Trinity House have voted to reject a 2% pay offer, which would have taken effect from 1 March 2017. Industrial organiser Paul Schroder has written to management to advise them of the decision and to request further talks. WESTMINSTER LIAISON: Nautilus member Stephen Kowalski has been appointed liaison officer for members employed by Boskalis Westminster onboard Shoalway. His period of office lasts until 30 April 2018.
offer for members serving with A Stena Line — warning management Nautilus has rejected a pay
harmonised collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and trade union F recognition agreement for members serving with P&O Irish Sea (Jersey). Following long-running negotiations, Nautilus has agreed a new
Pictured above signing the agreement in St Helier, Jersey, is national ferry organiser Micky Smyth, alongside P&O Irish Sea (Jersey) director Mark Risby and head of HR continental Europe Andrew Shaw.
that the proposed package is ‘unacceptable’ because it fails to match the RPI inflation rate. Following talks with management, the Union received an offer for a 1.2% increase this year or a two-year deal delivering 1.3% in the first year and 1.4% in year two. But after receiving feedback from Nautilus liaison officers who have canvassed members’ views, national ferry organiser Micky Smyth has written to the company to urge it to reconsider the package.
Survey shows morale at low Job security fears haunt shipping company shore staff
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Levels of morale among shipping company shorebased staff have fallen to an all-time low, according to a new survey. Research carried out by the international maritime jobs specialist Halcyon Recruitment and online training provider Coracle shows that almost two-thirds of personnel working in shipping company offices are concerned about their job security. The findings — which are based on feedback from almost 3,000 workers around the world — show that 36% reported a reduction in jobs at their workplace over the past year. Responses were drawn from all the key maritime centres and included respondents representing all the major trades, working in both commercial and operational roles. Halcyon said the survey
showed more staff than ever before are planning to change jobs in the next 12 months. But only 28% expressed confidence about the employment opportunities they are seeing in the market, compared with 42% in 2015 and 60% in 2014. Only 38% of the survey participants have seen an increase to their basic salary over the past year, compared with 47% in 2015. Those working in the technical and health and safety sectors of shipping are faring best, with 53% receiving a salary increase and 60% a bonus. The survey found that lack of promotion and advancement opportunities is the leading reason for dissatisfaction among employees in their current role, with 45% citing this as their main area of discontentment, followed by benefits packages.
Commenting on the results, Halcyon Recruitment chief executive officer Heidi Heseltine said: ‘The results this year are unlikely to surprise most, as shipping markets have been, and continue to be, depressed. Save for some short-term improvements, there is no evidence to suggest any notable change on the horizon in the next 12 months. ‘With a severe lack of promotion and advancement opportunities, morale is low and one of the leading reasons for dissatisfaction among employees in their current role.’ She said the survey had also revealed concerns about the impact of Brexit — with the biggest worries being the potential impact of business tariffs on trade between the UK and EU, followed by the potential of employers relocating their business.
Mr Smyth pointed out that the offer is below the current RPI of 2%, which is the starting point used by Nautilus for its claim. Whist the Union accepts that these are uncertain times, it has secured RPI-linked pay rises with six other ferry companies, he added. Management told the Union that Stena Line is facing ‘significant growing competition’ from companies using ‘more cost aggressive manning models’ and it argued that ‘realistic expectation must remain at the forefront’ to protect the company’s programme of future savings while ensuring a sustainable employment model.
TUC alert on auto pensions government not to delay a rise F in auto-enrolment pension rates, to The TUC has urged the UK
ensure that people have adequate retirement incomes. The minimum rate of autoenrolment pension contribution is set to rise from 2% now to 8% in 2019. Of this, the employer will have to contribute at least 3%. However, concerns have been raised on whether the 8% rate is sufficient to give people a decent pot to retire on. TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said a report from the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association had shown the success of auto-enrolment, but also highlighted the need to increase contributions to ensure adequate retirement incomes. ‘Automatic enrolment has given millions a workplace pension for the first time, especially young workers,’ she added. ‘But now we need to make sure that those pensions are enough for a decent retirement. ‘Employers must step up and show they’re prepared to put more into workplace pensions alongside their employees,’ Ms O’Grady added. ‘And the government must improve auto-enrolment so it delivers a decent pension for everyone.’
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frustration that red tape is F halting progress on pay talks dating Nautilus has expressed its
from 2015. A meeting to discuss the award for members employed by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) on ships operated by NOCS-NMFSS and the British Antarctic Survey had been due to take place in November, and then again in December, but is being hampered by internal bureaucracy. In a communication with the Union, management said that they had submitted the business case for the 2015 pay and conditions review with the aim of getting the necessary approvals to make an offer. According to John Ward, the
National Oceanography Centre head of people and skills, the process has passed the first hurdle but a new approval regime that means it has to go through several more hoops before a formal offer can be made. A series of new dates for the talks have been proposed in January, February, March or April. Industrial organiser Lisa Carr said the latest setback is disappointing. ‘This meeting has been, and keeps being, put on hold due to the company continuing to tie the process up in red tape. ‘We’re disappointed and frustrated on our members’ behalf that this process will now drift into another calendar year with little sign of a quick resolution apparent.’
Micky Smyth, Isle of Man Steam Packet Company manager Ethel F Docherty, liaison officer Chris Bowen and fleet operations manager Frank Pictured above, left to right, are Nautilus national ferry organiser
O’Neill at the company’s headquarters during pay talks in December. Following the talks, a 3% pay offer has been made to members employed by Manx Sea Transport (Guernsey) and the results of the consultation will be known early in the new year.
14/12/2016 18:11