SOS 2020 Campaign For Seafarers

EDM number 516 in 2016-17, proposed by Ian Mearns on 11/10/2016.
Categorised under the topics of Employment, Industrial relations, Pay and Shipping.

That this House notes that merchant shipping handles 95 per cent of the UK's internationally traded goods, carries over 22 million passengers and makes a direct contribution to the UK economy of over £3 billion every year; is concerned that UK seafarer numbers have fallen by nearly 60 per cent in the last 30 years and that UK seafarers are ageing, with a significant number of ratings and officers expected to retire by 2020; further notes that this decline is the result of factors such as the exclusion of seafarers from full employment and equality rights, persistently low levels of training, public unawareness and the rise of Flag of Convenience registers; believes that the UK is on the verge of a maritime skills crisis which threatens the UK's national economic, social and security interests; is alarmed that rates of pay well below the national minimum wage are common amongst non-UK ratings recruited overseas to work on ships from UK ports; and calls on the Government to support the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers' SOS 2020 campaign to repair the maritime skills base by extending employment and equality rights, safety standards and jobs and training for UK seafarers.

This motion has been signed by a total of 26 MPs.