Brussels threat to merchant navy

[happy daze john in oz]

An article I came across the other day in a British newspaper sent to me from U.K. September 12th, It shows just how bad things are getting with Brussels calling all the tunes.

A Merchant sailors right to be one of the highest ranked creditors if his employer go bust is under threat.
It is feared that possible changes to European insolvency laws could harm the revival of thr British Merchant Fleet.
A shipping industry source claims that Brussels have decided to look at these laws, and if changed would make it harder for shipowners.
Belgium, holder of the European union presidency is examining the long standing exemption from EU laws enjoyed by the maratime industry.
Among these is the right of member states to exempt their shipping companies from the 1980 insolvency directive which sets out the rights of workers if their employer had gone bust.
The exemption adopted by Britain has long been justified on the grounds that seafarers have special rights known as 'maratime lien'.
The wages of the crew are near the top of the pecking order when their ship's assets are realised.
The chamber of shipping which opposes the changes said, 'the only circumstances in which they can lose their lien is if the ship is lost or wrecked.

Someone out there in EU land will make sure thta any revival is kept to the minimum if this goes ahead. Once again the poor seaman is to bear the brunt of any changes.

[Captain Kong]

Europe should be used as a nuclear testing ground.

[stevesherratt]

Brian,

Couldn’t agree more! Just lets make sure the wind is in the right direction.

Brussels should concentrate on producing a FIRST set of audited accounts in it entire history.

Steve R770014 Sunny (but cool) South Derbyshire

[jimmys]

I dont think anybody needs to guess who is top of the list of creditors of course Tommy the Tax Man. Once he gets his whack there is not much scraps for anybody else.

Regards
jimmy

[Roger Dyer]

Hi Shipmates......Having read the commencement of this thread and the comments of Brian,Steve and Jimmy thereafter, I can only agree. As an ex-pat (but, after 44 years, still a British national) I feel saddened, no! more than that I feel angry to think that, once again, Brussels will have the chance to 'chip away' at Britain and things British. I cannot, for the life of me, understand what great advantages Britain (or at least, England) has gained by it's membership of the EU. Now, to read that British merchant seaman may, again, be disadvantaged, does not surprise me. Wasn't it always that way? We can only hope that some form of justice will prevail, but I'll not hold my breath........Roger.