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MESSAGE FROM YOUR NATIONAL SECRETARY
Dear Colleagues,
I hope this update for all members employed onboard the Sir David Attenborough provides you with useful information and creates discussion amongst those working onboard about your terms, your issues, and your role within the union.
I am calling upon every member to make your workplace an organised workplace that gives you and every RMT member a voice and an ability to shape the progression of your terms and conditions of employment. It is imperative that we establish improved communication and address your workplace concerns.
Being organised relies not only on encouraging 100% of all ratings to be an RMT member, but it also relies upon 2-way communication, having elected representatives in place as shipboard industrial representatives and health and safety representatives. We must progress your concerns and ideas for improvement through the necessary channels.
We all have a part to play in ensuring that the union is effective in your workplace, and I would like to call upon all members to discuss with your colleagues how we can become more effective by being better organised onboard.
Regards,
Darren Procter
What are your priorities?
During my visit onboard and during zoom calls I highlighted the fact that we want to know what your issues are and what your priorities for the union to take up on your behalf are.
Wages and retention are clearly an issue onboard, which we have recently discussed, but we also want to understand what triggers concern, debate and discussion onboard so the union can address these issues on your behalf.
What initiatives would you like to see the union taking up?
I have a concern in relation to awareness of your terms and conditions because I recently established that individuals were not aware of pay scales or life assurance levels. This means we may need to look at how we can make this information readily available so that members are fully aware of their terms and conditions of employment and company benefits etc.
Pay discussion update
Your union has been in negotiations with your employer, who have been honest about the difficulties in attracting seafarers to work onboard the vessel. We remain in dialogue to get an offer that is acceptable to our members and will provide you with updates as we seek progress on your rates of pay and the concerns that you have raised to me as your lead officer.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH YOU!
During shipboard visits and in communications we have been made aware that visiting members onboard is a priority for our deep-sea members.
However, we cannot simply wait for you to return to engage with you. As your recently appointed lead officer and your national secretary it is important to me to have an RMT presence onboard vessels to engage with members so the union can fully understand your working environment and be seen onboard by members and potential members.
To resolve this I aim to continue with regular Zoom calls for updates while we await the return of your vessel to the UK.
I am aware that a crew change is imminent, and I want to hear from the on signing crew of when would be a good time to have a virtual meeting on a day and time that is convenient to you? Get in contact and we can arrange this ASAP.
Shipboard industrial representatives
You recently identified a shipboard representative on one watch, but it is fundamental that we get a representative covering both watches to communicate with your union on any issues, incidents or required information. would ask that all members encourage discussion to identify a representative to be the contact onboard and facilitate Zoom meetings and advise of UK port calls etc., if you require further information on this matter do not hesitate to get in contact with me on the details provided overleaf.
HEALTH AND SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES
RMT has been campaigning for improved practices within the maritime sector and we must ensure that on every vessel we have elected health and safety representatives, who undertakes training through RMT and are involved in risk assessments, safety inspections and safety committees. Having an individual attend a safety committee meeting as a tick box exercise, without relevant training or involvement is not acceptable. Do you believe that you have an effective safety regime onboard or is this an area where we can seek to make progress? Are you or a colleague onboard interested in becoming an RMT health and safety representative? If so, get in contact with me using the details below.
HEALTH AND SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE
Joint National Consultative Committee (JNCC) Meetings
Within our recognition agreement there is a structure for engaging with the company and the JNCC meetings are formed of trade union representatives working within UKRI, full-time trade union officers from across all unions who recognition at UKRI, and representatives of UKRI management who have the delegated authority to act upon the discussions held within the committee and are usually held on a quarterly basis. This would be a forum that consults and discusses issues such as:
• Health and safety issues
• The organisation’s recent and likely future economic situation
• Current and future employment situation and any threats to jobs
• Changes to policies
• Job grading and evaluation
• Training, Learning and Development
• Changes to the working environment and amenities.
• Contracting out of UKRI functions
• Any other item both sides agree to refer to.
We are invited to these meetings and must look to engage in these forums as part of an agenda to be better organised and to use the meetings to raise the concerns of you and your colleagues.
LEAD OFFICER CONTACT DETAILS
We have recently updated your notice board onboard, and my contact details have been included but should anybody need to contact me as your lead officer at any time I can be contacted via email at d.procter@rmt.org.uk or via mobile on 07949 246219.
Keep your contact details up-to-date
We have identified that we do not have up-to-date contact details for all members, with some having no email or mobile number registered. To ensure that we keep all members employed at UKRI fully up to date and engaged on matters of relevance to you we would ask that you update your contact details. This can be done by concting RMT Head office on 0800 376 3706, using the RMT app or logging on to the website to update your personal details.
