Action on UK work permits
Home secretary Theresa May is being urged to clamp down on shipping companies failing to comply with work permit requirements for employing foreign seafarers in UK waters.
Nautilus International, the trade union and professional organisation representing 24,000 ship masters, officers, and other maritime professionals working at sea and ashore, has warned the minister of ‘fundamental ethical and social’ concerns over the standards of employment of foreign crews working in domestic shipping services.
The union has highlighted the case of the Cyprus-registered general cargoship Daroja, which is operated by Streamline Shipping on a service between Aberdeen and Kirkwall.
Nautilus contends that the crew members – a mix of Filipino and eastern European nationals – should be covered by work permit requirements, with the employer having to demonstrate that they have satisfied the labour market test by advertising the jobs locally at the domestic rate of pay for such jobs.
‘Nautilus does not believe that the jobs onboard Daroja were advertised in this way – if they had been, then there certainly would have been locally-based well qualified applicants,’ said general secretary Mark Dickinson.
The union has requested an urgent investigation by the UK Border Agency and is urging the minister to clarify Home Office policy on the work permit requirements for foreign seafarers working on ships operating in UK waters, as well as the resources given to ensure that the rules are complied with.
‘These are important issues for a maritime nation,’ Mr Dickinson pointed out. ‘We should not allow seafarers serving on ships around our coastline to receive second-class treatment or enable shipping companies to receive an unfair competitive advantage by ignoring the rules.’
Source: Nautilus International
