Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Port workers’ pay deal
Staff set to secure higher rise amid shift concerns
WOR K E R S at t he Port of Dundee are tipped to secure a higher pay rise after airing concerns over working conditions.
Union reps from Unite met with bosses of parent company Forth Ports last week in a bid to hammer out a deal as part of the annual pay negotiation, amid local concerns over shift patterns.
The port handles decommissioning work and oil rig maintenance and also hosts visiting and departing cruise ships.
Staff rejected a proposed 2% pay rise earlier this week, saying it didn’t reflect the work staff put in.
The port reported a 21% year-onyear rise in profits in 2018.
It is understood an offer of 2.2% is now on the table and is expected to be accepted.
A worker at the port spoke to the Tele on the condition of anonymity.
He said: “We’re in the middle of the negotiations and trying to get working conditions clarified.
“We’d been offered a pay rise of 2% but when Forth Ports are saying to the media their profits are up 21%, that isn’t enough.”
It has been claimed staff are being put on over-demanding rounds of nightshifts, with cuts being made to overtime payment even as workers plug gaps in the workforce with extra shifts.
The port worker added: “The bosses said they would discuss all those concerns after we agreed to the pay deal. There’s some ambiguities in our contracts that seem to work in the company’s favour.”
A spokeswoman for Forth Ports said: “We are working closely with our employees at the Port of Dundee and the Unite union during the annual salary consultation process.
“We have increased the pay offer in Dundee, which has been accepted by a significant number of Unite members across our other ports.
“We are hopeful that the outcome of our discussions with the employees i n Dundee will be positive.”