‘Seafarers need living wage too’

A union chief has challenged shadow chancellor John McDonnell to back a £10-an-hour living wage at sea as well as on land.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash welcomed the policy to introduce a higher rate if Labour wins power.

But he insisted the same should apply on ships to tackle the undercutting of UK seafarers’ wages with foreign workers amid a “race to the bottom”.

He also called for intervention in the form of regulation from the Conservative Government to protect against exploitative pay as low as £1.64 an hour.

The number of UK ratings has fallen sharply in recent years to fewer than 9,000, compared to more than 30,000 in 1982. It is estimated that by 2020, the figure could drop to 5,000, with many people due to retire in the coming years.

Job cuts, particularly on offshore supply vessels since the collapse of the oil price, have also exacerbated the situation.

“Jobs cuts have also exacerbated the situation”

Speaking at a heated event on UK seafarers’ futures at the Labour conference in Liverpool, Mr Cash said that without regulation, the “bad would be undermined by the atrocious”. He said: “We should have the same on board, particularly around EU waters.”