Steam Packet says its 'ready to do deal' amid live aboard dispute

Fri, 22 Dec 2023

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company has reiterated that it is “ready to reach an amicable solution” in the ongoing industrial dispute about changes to terms and conditions.

It says that “representatives of the Company are waiting at the table for Nautilus to do a deal in the best interests of the officers it represents”.

The offer, to all officers remains:

• An additional six days leave and equivalent rest taking the total to 42 days per annum
• A 5% bonus paid for every day living on board (decreasing by 1% per year)
• No termination of employment
• No erosion or withdrawal of any existing benefits including pensions.
• A choice of working week on/week off or two weeks on/two weeks off.

The average pay of officers at the Isle of Man Steam Packet is £65,000 pa excluding overtime and benefits.

Under the current proposal officers would be expected to work for 4.7 months of the year.

Therefore, it has repeatedly made the below offer:

• Conciliation, via MIRS or another service, for any officers who feel they are unable to live aboard the Company’s vessels, for any reason.

In exchange for the above offer, the Company wishes only to explicitly include ‘living aboard’ in terms and conditions of employment.

The Company emphasised the inclusion of living aboard as a working practice does not mean all seafarers will be expected to live aboard at all times.

The Company notes that on September 28, Nautilus acknowledged that the principal of living aboard was not objected to – The Union is fully aware of the reasons the Company wishes to introduce the live aboard term into contracts of employment, having been involved in discussions for over 3 years and having had direct input into Manxman’s muster list.

The Company says it "is not able to endlessly continue to discussions without any clear idea of what Nautilus is trying to achieve for its members".

Adding: "The last thing the Company wants to do is to serve notice on its staff in order to achieve the changes it is seeking but, as there seems to be no other way of making progress, the Company feels it has no option in order to bring matters to a conclusion."

Officers will be welcome to sign up to the revised terms and conditions at any point up to March 15.

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