Seafarers will be better protected against rogue employers thanks
to tough new legislation being introduced to Parliament this
week.
The Employment Rights Bill will introduce new protections
specifically devised for seafarers – toughening the laws around
collective dismissal and cementing seafarer wage protections
in UK law.
This package of seafarer protections is aimed at preventing
another P&O Ferries scandal from happening, after hundreds of
seafarers were fired and replaced with lower paid agency workers
by the company in March 2022 – prompting outrage up and down the
country.
The bill also includes a measure that will end ‘fire and rehire'
practices except where employers genuinely have no alternative.
This change will help to prevent a race to the bottom.
The government will also close a loophole exploited
by P&O Ferries – toughening the collective redundancy
notification requirements for operators of foreign vessels.
It means operators planning to dismiss 20 or more
employees will first be legally required to notify
the government and face potential prosecution or an unlimited
fine.
The government will also introduce powers to implement
international conventions relating to seafarer employment and is
urgently exploring options to introduce mandatory employment
standards at sea – by setting minimum standards for operators on
working conditions.
Deputy Prime Minister, , said:
We're on a mission to end exploitative work and we're legally
enshrining our promises so no employer can abuse the system to
rob their workers of the basic rights and dignity they deserve.
What we saw with P&O Ferries was an outrageous example of
manipulation by an employer and exactly why we're taking bold
action to improve job security in the UK.
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.
Transport Secretary, , said:
The mass sacking by P&O Ferries was a national scandal which
can never be allowed to happen again. These measures will
make sure it doesn't.
This issue has been ignored for over 2 years, but this new
government is moving fast and bringing forward measures within
100 days.
We are closing the legal loophole that P&O Ferries exploited
when they sacked almost 800 dedicated seafarers and replaced
them with low paid agency workers and we are requiring operators
to pay the equivalent of National Minimum Wage
in UK waters.
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.
With stronger protections for workers, this government will make
work pay in every corner of the country.
The changes will make the sector more appealing and allow British
seafarers to compete for jobs on ability and not salary,
providing UK protections to all and allowing
operators who provide decent employment conditions to compete
against those who only apply the international minimums.
This package of legislation comes alongside the implementation of
the Seafarer's Wages Act.
Regulations will be laid on 10 October 2024 to allow the act –
passed last year – to come into force on the 1 December.
Alongside a similar law introduced by the French government, this
will establish a ‘minimum wage corridor' across the short
straits.
The act is designed to deliver fair pay, requiring operators that
call at least 120 times a year at UK ports to pay their seafarers at
least the equivalent of the UK National Minimum Wage equivalent.
Operators that fail to comply will be forced to pay a surcharge
at each port call it makes. Continued non-compliance could see
operators refused access to the port altogether.
This transformative package of measures will
mean thousands of seafarers see wage increases, level the
playing field for good faith operators by preventing a race to
the bottom and ensure job security and protections for those that
work at sea.
