The UK Government Presents a New Employment Rights Bill to Improve Protections for Seafarers
Posted on Oct 27, 2024 at 09:10 PM
Seafarers who are based in the UK and regularly work in UK seas will be granted some safeguards through the implementation of the Seafarer's Wages Act and a new worker rights law.
A new Employment Rights Bill proposed by the government might soon provide seafarers in the UK with more robust rights against collective dismissal and wage discrimination.
In addition, the legislation aims to enhance collective redundancy regulations, requiring corporations to take more action against simultaneous terminations of 20 or more employees and to prevent certain carriers from employing “Fire-Rehire” tactics.
A New Era of Employment Rights
Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, commented: “These long overdue changes will shield workers from the mistreatment of having their terms and conditions ripped up before their eyes, while benefiting good employers to compete on quality and innovation, rather than a race to the bottom.”
The law's introduction follows harsh criticism of ferry company P&O by both lawmakers and business leaders for laying off 800 of its sailors in 2022 and replacing them with lower-paid agency workers, bringing "fire and rehire" practices into the public eye.
Following intense external criticism and last-minute negotiations with maritime union Nautilus, Southampton-based cruise giant Carnival UK was also forced to abandon plans to use a similar measure with 919 of its seamen in 2023.
Additionally, the new measure would support the previously enacted Seafarer's Wages Act, which the government intends to implement on December 1, 2024, and which requires foreign operators that often stop at UK ports to pay seafarers the equivalent of the national minimum wage in the UK.
Protecting Workers and Deterring Shady Firms
Louise Haigh, the transport secretary, called P&O's “mass sacking” a “national scandal” and stated that the new laws' provisions will stop other carriers from abusing the law in the same manner.
She stated, “Make no mistake: this is good for workers and good for business. Cowboy operators like P&O Ferries will no longer be able to act with impunity, undercutting good employers in the process.”
In the past, the UK and the French government collaborated to coordinate laws on the subject and safeguard workers on ferries crossing the English Channel. The wages legislation is a part of a larger effort to enhance seafarer working conditions internationally.
Along with exploring the possibility of introducing required employment standards at sea, the UK government stated that it also plans to “introduce powers” that would facilitate the implementation of international treaties on seafarer employment rights.
Nautilus International praised the new law, with Martyn Gray, the union's head of organising, saying it will solve “long-standing” concerns in the sector.
He noted, “We will work closely with lawmakers as the Bill moves forward to ensure it delivers the strongest possible protections for seafarers and maritime professionals. We remain committed to ensuring that the maritime industry is fair, equitable, and safe for all who work in it.”
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