Unanimous support for RFA officers strikes at TUC Congress

The UK trade union movement unanimously voted to pass Nautilus International’s two motions at TUC Congress, the annual gathering of British trade unions, which was held in Brighton on 8-11 September.

The first motion, titled 'Deliver freedom of association and prevent another P&O Ferries scandal' highlighted prime minister Keir Starmer's commitment at the 2022 Congress to close the gaps in law that allowed P&O Ferries to carry out its mass-sacking in March 2022.

The motion also noted the five-point plan to prevent another P&O Ferries scandal, which was put forward by now-transport secretary Louise Haigh MP and deputy prime minister Angela Rayner MP on the first anniversary of the sacking.

Congress supported the call for the UK government to ensure the International Labour Organization (ILO) ruling in November 2023 is fully implemented via the upcoming employment bill, ensuring mutual respect for collective bargaining and ending the ban on secondary action.

The second motion, which drew on the Nautilus general election manifesto Turning the tide: a mission to revitalise our nation's maritime sector, called on Congress to support the Union's efforts to support maritime employment and reverse Merchant Navy decline. The UK currently faces historic lows in the numbers of qualified seafarers and registered vessels.

As in previous years, Nautilus used the motion to highlight the corrosive impact of flags of convenience and the need to protect our domestic industry from unfair competition. The motion calls for the TUC's support for active exploration of UK cabotage laws to protect and grow jobs for UK maritime professionals and ensure any TUC response to a procurement bill calls for favourable procurement for UK-crewed and registered vessels. It also calls for reforms to maritime training, including 100% government SMarT funding and one single national maritime training provider.

Moving the motion, Nautilus UK branch chair Captain Iain MacKenzie said: 'We know that with government support, through cabotage and reforms to training, our nation’s merchant navy can be rebuilt, with seafaring reclaiming its place as a source of good employment for our port cities and coastal communities.'

Additionally, Nautilus successfully amended a motion from the GMB union entitled 'Industrial strategy is national security'. The amendment asserted the importance of the maritime industry to the wider economy and the need for an industrial strategy to support the growth of the domestic maritime industry.

RFA emergency motion

Nautilus International, supported by our sister maritime union the RMT, moved an emergency motion on the last day of TUC Congress 2024 to support our members at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, as an escalation of strike action loomed.

The motion, passed unanimously, at the annual gathering of the British trade union movement, highlighted the historic nature of the strike action, the first time in the history of the service that officers have staged a walk-out.

It also stated the ongoing frustration and the 'immense strain' of our members and their families at the prolonged uncertainty, as the government have yet to put forward a new and improved offer.

Speaking on the motion, Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said 'Congress, like many of the public sector workers in this room, our members at the RFA didn't join the service for the money, but because they wanted to make a difference, their country called and they weren't found wanting, yet it is exactly this reason that successive governments have ignored the growing problem, relying on the good will of our members – well we say no more.'

Congress supported the call for 'Fair Pay RFA'.