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Thread: Offshore News

  1. #1
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    Default Offshore News

    from Nautilus

    Nautilus and other unions in the Offshore Coordinating Group (OCG) have joined with Norwegian trade union Industri Energi to call on UK operators and regulators to intervene in one of the most 'appalling' examples of social dumping seen in the offshore sector.


    OCG chairman Tommy Campbell says Prosafe Offshore has 'dumped their long established, loyal competent employees' and embarked on a recruitment drive in Poland and Croatia on significantly reduced terms and conditions, to man their new accommodation barges due into service in the UK in the coming months.

    'Prosafe has cut around 150 employees claiming they have been forced to move to a new crewing system,' said Mr Campbell. 'They enticed their loyal employees to accept "voluntary redundancy" packages and offered to hire them back when activity increased. However, the packages being offered through the OSM Agency are substantially lower, in some cases by as much as 40% lower.'

    OCG says the Prosafe Offshore accommodation barges will service the BP operated Claire Ridge project, the Equinor at the Mariner Field and the ConocoPhillips, Judy operation.

    'We cannot stand idly by and allow a "race to the bottom" to occur across the supply chain to appease the paymasters - the oil companies,' added Nautilus strategic organiser Lee Moon. 'The industry should be seeking alternative methods to improve efficiency rather than attacking long established terms and conditions.'

    The OCG trade unions and Industri Energi have asked the International Transport Workers' Federation to intervene and are seeking meetings directly with the oil companies after an approach to meet and discuss the situation with Prosafe was rejected by the company. The OCG is also planning to raise the matter with Oil & Gas UK in the context of the Supply Chain Principle Charter and approach the Health and Safety Executive in regards to competence and training standards of short term agency workers.
    Rob Page R855150 - British & Commonwealth Shipping ( 1965 - 1973 ) Gulf Oil -( 1973 - 1975 ) Sealink ( 1975 - 1986 )

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    Default Re: Offshore News

    Britain now owns just 0.8% of global shipping, and of those few only a third are still registered under a British flag. Forty years ago there were 90,000 mariners.... now there are just 23,000.
    About two-thirds of ratings on ships registered with the UK Chamber of Shipping come from low-paying non-EEA countries. Unlike most immigration fears, this is a genuine case of foreign labour undercutting British employees, as there’s no lack of British young people yearning for a life at sea. Nautilus, the union for professional mariners, says 10 well-qualified young people apply for every apprenticeship. Though companies are obliged to do some training, they rarely take on apprentices once trained. They are not going to when they can pay at least a third less and still comply with global minimum standards? Disgusted but there you have it.
    Last edited by Ken Norton; 6th February 2019 at 06:41 PM.

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    Default Re: Offshore News

    Sadly UK is not the only country to undergo such events.

    Our one time Oz MN is gone, all shipping calling in has overseas crew from low paying nations.
    But even ashore now more and more companies are dumping staff and employing them or others as 'contractors'.

    At one time Ford, when still doing well here, offered redundentcies to some then advised them if they wished to reapply for a position at a lower rate they could.
    Most of the ones offered the money were either known trouble makers or Union reps the company wanted out.
    Happy daze John in Oz.

    Life is too short to blend in.

    John Strange R737787
    World Traveller

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    Default Re: Offshore News

    #1.. Rob just seen this post, but is par for the course. Numast which was the original of Nautilus were the spokesman speaking for behalf of the manning of offshore vessels and were in the process if not passed before I left the uk , for every company to have independent discussions with a chosen few of their seagoing members. Don’t really know if that was a success or not . However the likes of the SBV company’s were never unionised and the owners would not accept them being recognised by a union . Whether that is the same or not don’t know.out here was a different story the maritime unions negotiated the wages for different types of shipping, and it was paid or the ship wasn’t going anywhere. As a member of Numast I made enquiries about various complaints issued by others , and their answer was they could not do anything about it as were not union recognised. These were the first people who deserved a liveable wage. Belated cheers JWS

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