New mandatory charter boosts security, pay and working conditions for thousands of seafarers
Seafarers will benefit from greater protections for welfare and working conditions thanks to new legal requirements that the government has now proposed by the government.
Part of the government’s landmark Employment Rights Bill – the biggest upgrade to rights at work in a generation – the new amendments have been tabled to pave the way for a legally binding Seafarers’ Charter.
The charter will allow ministers to set higher standards for seafarers’ rights and further protect wages beyond UK waters for seafarers on services regularly calling at UK ports.
Thanks to the amendments tabled, strengthened protections for seafarers include:
The Department for Transport (DfT) will launch a consultation to gather views from industry and unions on how these new powers can best be implemented.
This marks a major milestone for the sector by cementing seafarer protections in law, addressing the concerns of safe roster patterns and seafarer fatigue to ensure the health and safety of workers.
Delivering on the Plan for Change’s commitment to raise living standards, these measures will prevent exploitation and undercutting of working conditions, enshrine seafarer protections in law as never before and set a firm course for the industry moving forward.
Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, said:
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said:
The maritime industry is vital to the UK economy, adding £18.7 billion of gross value added (GVA) in 2019. Reforming workplace conditions and investing in seafarers will bolster the maritime industry and help turbocharge economic growth across the UK.
The announcement comes just weeks after the Seafarer’s Wages Act came into force, meaning that anyone who frequently works in our waters now receives the equivalent of the national minimum wage.
Christophe Mathieu, CEO of Brittany Ferries, said:
Gemma Griffin MBE, Vice President and Head of Global Crewing at DFDS, said:
Paul Nowak, General Secretary of TUC, said: