Our front cover image above (taken from Outage 3 August 2024) is RMT National Secretary, Darren Procter, leading a march and campaign to secure justice for workers back in 2022.
The company P&O Ferries has sacked over 800 seafarers and replaced them with lower paid workers. The campaign for justice and changes to protect workers started the day P&O took the action. Changes to law should be implemented this year (2024), improving protections for all workers in the maritime and offshore energy sectors.
The P&O case was extreme and, thankfully, events like this don't happen often. With the comings changes in law, the risk of mass sackings and attacks on pay like the P&O action should be reduced. We will fight all unfairness and injustice across the offshore energy and maritime sectors, and together we can make a difference. Let's not wait until something happens, let's stop it happening!
To make a difference we need a change in thinking. We've all heard the complaining in tea/coffee shacks on installations and vessels. Workmates going on about rotas, accommodation, holiday, contracts, health and safety, and so on. Please don't just complain, get active and campaign.
Change and improvements won't happen overnight, but nothing will change by just moaning in the tea shack. Join the union, write to the union, get active and campaign. And don't think campaigning is always about marching or carrying banners. Send information we can use, maybe attend a meeting and tell us about your issues or ideas. Get your 'complaint' to us and we can take it up with Politicians, the HSE, OEUK, Renewables UK, whoever. Together, we can make a difference by campaigning, not just complaining.
Published in our newsletter, Outage 3 (April 2024)
