Launch Of North Sea Unions Social Dumping Campaign

News Release International Transport Federation (ITF) February 6, 2012

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Media Release 7th February 2012<?xml:namespace prefix = o
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Launch Of North Sea Unions Social Dumping
Campaign<o:p></o:p>
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In Aberdeen today - 7th February 2012 - North Sea Trade
Unions and affiliates to the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF)
from Norway, Denmark, and UK will launch an international campaign against
Social Dumping in the North Sea Offshore Oil and Gas
Industry.<o:p></o:p>
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The ITF affiliated unions representing Norway, Denmark, and the UK
are concerned
about the increasing number of ‘Flag of Convenience’ (FOC) and so-called
“national” registered vessels operating on a regular basis in the North Sea. The
impact of this is dramatically reduced opportunities for traditional national
seafarer jobs, as companies employ and exploit low cost labour from countries
such as Lithuania, Latvia, India, Romania and the
Philippines’.<o:p></o:p>
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In addition, Vessels registered in the Norwegian 1st
registry (NOR) are now being reflagged, as a consequence of the unfair
competition from other registers. They continue with regular operations on the
Norwegian Continental Shelf but are replacing Norwegian Seafarers with other
nationalities on wages and working conditions far below Norwegian
standards. 
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The ITF affiliates are DEEPLY CONCERNED that in the near future there
will no longer be any NOR vessels on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and
consequently no Norwegian Seafarers on board offshore supply and service vessels
operating in Norway.<o:p></o:p>
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The ITF Affiliates’ BELIEVE that the only way to prevent social
dumping in the North Sea, thereby upholding the competitiveness of our National
Seafarers is to demand  Internationally acceptable wage and
working conditions for all Seafarers on board vessels operating on the North Sea
Continental Shelf, regardless of nationality.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
We ACKNOWLEDGE that the shipping industry is a globalised industry,
but we should uphold traditional Seafarers rights to compete for jobs servicing
the petroleum industry on the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on">North
Sea</st1:place> Continental Shelf and this should be based on acceptable
international standards on wages and working
conditions.<o:p></o:p>
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The ITF Affiliates and seafarers will lay wreaths in national flag
colours in Aberdeen harbour today at 11am at Pocra Quay Aberdeen at “Footdee
Seafarers Memorial” in memory of those Norwegian, Danish and British seafarers who have
given their lives for the industry and to recognise the continuous loss of jobs
and opportunities for Norwegian, Danish and British seafarers in the North
Sea.<o:p></o:p>
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Steve Todd, RMT National Secretary said today; “The decline of
British ratings in the North Sea over the years has been dramatic, and companies
appear to be practicing ‘under the table discrimination’ by refusing
applications for jobs from experienced British seafarers’ while employing low
cost workers from outside instead. The RMT will join other ITF affiliates in
calling on the oil and gas industry generally, and Oil and Gas UK specifically,
to seriously look at the damage being done to the long term skills needs of the
oil and gas industry, where it’s recognised there will be a shortage of 15,000
skilled workers over the next 5 years.”
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Captain Hans Sande,
Norwegian Officer Union said, that we should not forget that this is also a
problem facing Danish and British seafarer and it should be addressed in the
same notice. The fact that the ship owner has several national 2nd registers to
shop among, creates a situation where the traditional registers cannot compete.
As long as the policy of UK, Norway and Denmark is to keep the north sea open
for “free competition” ,there is no way that we can maintain a sustainable
recruitment in the long run .All we ask for, is fair competition in our own
waters.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
In the spirit of solidarity coming from a labour supplying country,
Abdulgani Serang, General Secretary, National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI)
has demanded that the unhealthy practice of reflagging which directly
contributes to social dumping is not acceptable. Firstly, our objective is that
the jobs of seafarers from Norway, Denmark and UK should be protected and
retained. Secondly, we support the demand of internationally acceptable wage and
working conditions for the seafarers regardless of their nationality as a
justified way to achieve this objective.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Contact:         Norrie McVicar -
ITF Offshore Task Force Group (OTFG) Chairman<o:p></o:p>
                       
 +44 (0)
7768652257<o:p></o:p>
                       
Angelica Gjestrum, ITF Coordinator Norway + 47 (0)
97729357<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Supporting ITF Trade Unions<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
The Norwegian Maritime Officers’ Association
(Norway)<o:p></o:p>
Norwegian Union of marine Engineers (Norway)<o:p></o:p>
Norwegian Seafarers’ Union (Norway)<o:p></o:p>
Industri Energi (Norway)<o:p></o:p>
3f & Danish Metal (Denmark)<o:p></o:p>
RMT (UK)                                                             
               
Contact: Steve Todd National Secretary: +44
7779104231<o:p></o:p>
Nautilusint (UK) <o:p></o:p>
Nautiusint (Netherlands)<o:p></o:p>
Unite (UK)<o:p></o:p>
SUR (Russia)<o:p></o:p>
SUC (Croatia)<o:p></o:p>
Verdi (Germany)<o:p></o:p>
NUSI (India)<o:p></o:p>
CFDT (France)<o:p></o:p>
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