Well The NUS is not totally dead

[robpage]

From the Portsmouth News http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/bus...outh-1-6202357


MEMBERS of shipping union RMT held the second of two protests at Portsmouth International Port today.

The latest wave of protests on the south coast are being held by shipping union members to raise awareness of the impact on shipping jobs.

Today’s demonstration got under way at 7am.

The two protests, against ‘social dumping and exploitation’, allegedly done by Condor Ferries, are being held by union members this month. The first took place on July 16.

According to the union Condor Ferries continue recruits Ukrainian seafarers on pay reported to be as low as £2.35 per hour to work on vessels to the Channel Islands.

The Union ( NUS ) was not interested when the MNAOA organised a protest in 1985 ,. their jobs were a lot safer then , It is a long time ago but the future was fortold

[j.sabourn]

Think they are fighting a lost cause Rob. Dont think they have the numbers or the muscle to have any affect on Condor Ferries. Is just a continuation of the dying phases of the British seafarer. As said in a previous post on sailing on Russian Flag with Russian/Ukranian seafarers were the lowest wages have ever seen at sea, so what they are getting is probably a good deal to them and more than they would get on a Russian ship. Would be a good company to buy shares in if you are a capitalist, as they are bound to go up. Cheers JS

[robpage]

The cause was lost in 1984 , 30 years ago , the NUS thought they would never be affected , and a few crews of officers less , well that was neither here nor there , What they missed was we were fighting for survival for all

[j.sabourn]

Rob have put on another post the situation of seamen in Australia. Most people decry unions as they always get the worst of any argument re the press. The press and such other businesses are anti union and will do anything to put them in a bad light. I have had my arguments in the uk and out here with same when our views did not coincide, but by the same token there will as far as I am concerned is a need for such for anyone who works for a living,is better off with a union who really care for their conditions. You will hear a lot about the so called bad Maritime Union Of Australia, dont believe all you read. There will in all walks of life be genune and non genuine people this applies to Unions, but also applies to big business as well. Where the shipowner in the UK had the advantage was the seamans and officers unions were divided and could work one against the other. I remember Slater before he became the General Secretary of the NUS, he was blacklisted when he worked on the colliers, and as I was working in the office in Pilgrim Street as had overrun my leave, they were all boasting about the same. However when he became secretary they were like little school boys and he had them by the testacles. All unneccessary anti establishment and uncalled for. There was dishonesty on both sides. Out here unfortuanetly the union movement as regards seafarers is also disjointed, by being too many unions in the one industry, there should be one union for all seafarers. At present you have 3, before it was 4. The seamans, The Guild, The Engineers. All have their own superannuation schemes which are well controlled, the seamans when I was working was the best, and those ABs and firemen Cooks and stewards who did years at sea, came out a damn sight better than the British Seafarer. I was caught out by a British owner in the small print on a contract and lost what I thought for 8 years service I was entitled to. Out here I have seen no skulduggery like I saw in British shipping re earnings of seafarers. Cheers John S

[Ivan Cloherty]

FWE at 1155 hours on Sundays saved the British ship owner quite a considerable amount of money, especially on passenger vessels.

[j.sabourn]

Aided and abetted by the ships management. JS

[robpage]

There was always an element of divide and subdue , by the shipowner , encouraged by the Unions . In my honest opinion both the Unions did not always have the member's best interests at heart

[j.sabourn]

At least Rob the NUS still have a title. The MNAOA ( Merchant Navy and Air Lines Officers Association) later to become NUMAST (National Union Marine and Sea Transport) or words to that affect, no longer exists and is purely a shipping site for would be jobs, and run from the continent. Never was a union as such, more like a gentlemans club. I and 5 others received the Numast award in 1991, it was the first of its kind and went on every couple of years or so to give to who they thought deserved, one year was the Shipping Minister of Canada. When I was across last year I phoned their office to see if I could obtain records from that occassion and they didnt want to talk about it, as didnt have a clue what it was. Fortuanetly I still have the Telegraph marking the occassion which was a double sheet in the centre pages. I dont know but suspect there is no back up if required now for UK mates and Engineers. Maybe some Zulu warrior in Darkest Africa has seen the possibility of making money and opened an office. Cheers John S

[Captain Kong]

All my years at sea both in NUS and MNAOA and NUMAST, now Nautilus. I never once got any help when needed by the Unions.
all I ever got was. "Sorry Lad, me hands are tied." we used to call Paddy McGrath, Houdini.
Cheers
Brian.

[j.sabourn]

Maybe others on the site think the likes of Numast is unneccessary. Most were members because if they were involved in a shipping tragedy and had suspension of certificate or cancellation, they gave monetary assistance. Also they supplied solicitors etc. for enquiry appearances which can be very expensive. If in the case of a seafarers demise they gave assistance to widow and help to education of children. Maybe someone on site who still goes to sea will know of any such,apart from the King Alfred Homes which do a good samaritans job, exists which they can pay a nominal membership fee to. I dont. Cheers John S.

---------- Post added at 11:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:19 AM ----------

#9... Know what you mean Brian, when I approached Numast about money owing to crew from owners, myself included, their answer was the company do not reconize any union. What sort of answer is that. When I said I wanted a solicitor present at an enquiry they hummed and hahed, I insisted and made it obvious they had to or I would go public, they did supply but only under coercion. They were a toothless tiger their support I suppose was phsycological. A friend of mine however whose husband was lost at sea received a lot of help re bringing up the kids. Cheers JS