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Angry Portsmouth dockyard workers strike outside Royal Navy base
The News, Portsmouth
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03/02/2025
Prospect union members stage action after being left in the dark over the "afloat services" contract being renegotiated by the government and Serco Maritime.
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00:00
Nothing to see here.
00:27
Yeah, if it wasn't for the speed bump, it wouldn't have drawn.
00:58
Well, our members are angry because of the fact that the employer hasn't been listening to them.
01:02
They've consistently ignored us in the talks around the contract.
01:07
They've sidelined us, they've shut us out.
01:09
They've not told us what the new contract is.
01:13
They were expecting to sign it next month.
01:15
I understand that it's been delayed further,
01:18
but we have not seen a statement of requirements or anything to tell us about what the contract is.
01:24
Our members want to help the employer.
01:27
They want to help the Navy with the contract.
01:30
They want to help set out a statement of requirements that is accurate to the work they do
01:36
and will meet the needs of the Navy.
01:39
But the employer has been shutting them out,
01:41
and it's been shutting us out when in previous contracts this has never been done.
01:46
We've always had engagement in these contracts, and we need it still.
01:50
The contract covers vital work across the Navy.
01:53
It covers tugging out nuclear submarines at Faslane,
01:57
ocean-going vessels, we're talking oil spill coverage,
02:01
and vital work across the entire country.
02:05
So why do you think workers have been shut out then,
02:07
considering that they've been involved in contracts before?
02:11
Why wouldn't they be included in this one?
02:13
Is it because the company's worried about the MOD trying to save a few quid on this one?
02:17
There is the financial pressures on the company from the MOD,
02:22
from the general move towards austerity
02:24
and foolishly cutting defence spending at the current moment.
02:29
But I think that, putting it frankly,
02:32
the employer has the ability to come to us,
02:35
and it's not related to anything that the MOD is saying.
02:39
I think that it's solely the employer deciding to shut us out
02:43
and taking an anti-union action against us,
02:46
because it feels like the employer thinks that they know better
02:49
than the people who actually do the job.
02:52
And, as you'd imagine, more people are striking today,
02:55
but beyond today it would be action short of a strike.
02:58
So could you give us some examples of what that would entail,
03:01
and if it has potentially disrupted some of the vital work being done with the Royal Navy already?
03:07
I mean, many of our members are not properly covered in their contracts
03:12
for the work they do for the duty tugs.
03:15
There is potentially disruptive action to be taken around the clock-in system,
03:21
and there will be significant harm caused by an overtime ban as well
03:26
on many of these ships that require it.
03:29
There is potentially a lot of damage that can happen,
03:33
and with Unite beginning their ballot as of today,
03:37
that will only get worse for the employer unless they come to the table.
03:41
And whilst this is our first day of strike action,
03:44
it is not necessarily going to be our only day.
03:47
We expect that the employer comes back to the table,
03:50
we want the employer to come back to the table.
03:52
There is either a month or two months left,
03:55
depending on the renewal of the contract and the signing date.
03:57
Let's get round the table and let's fix this.
04:00
So do you think that more industrial action might actually happen
04:04
with Unite abolishing their members?
04:06
Are you hopeful that that could potentially be avoided?
04:09
This can all be avoided if the employer comes to the table.
04:14
If Unite ballot, then there is a high chance that we will look at coordinated action together
04:21
if they succeed in their ballot.
04:24
The potential is there for more action.
04:28
We're not going to rule it out on our end either.
04:31
We know that we have disrupted naval operations today,
04:36
we know that there was a CASD launch that had to happen yesterday at Faslane.
04:40
It was supposed to happen today.
04:43
The negotiations carry on afterwards, they carry on.
04:48
The urgency of signing this is encircling the MOD's front.
04:55
We're happy to take as long as it will take.
04:57
The reality is that this is a contract that's been run by a single employer
05:03
and that there's been a single bidder since I think the fall of the Soviet Union.
05:07
Almost 30 years it has been run by Serco.
05:13
There is no risk of someone else taking it.
05:16
There's nobody else that has the capability to take it.
05:18
So really the contract can go on.
05:21
The negotiations can go on as long as it needs to get a proper contract
05:25
that meets the needs of the Navy and meets the needs of our members
05:28
and meets the needs of the company.
05:30
But we can't have any of that without the company talking to us
05:33
and engaging us in that process.
05:36
And if that carries on for the long term,
05:39
it could have long term ramifications in the Navy and how it can deploy its fleet.
05:43
It could have significant ramifications if this action continues.
05:49
We have a mandate until June.
05:52
That's potential disruption until June.
05:56
And certainly we've played relatively nicely in the run-up to this.
06:02
But we will look at strategic action if the employer doesn't come to the table.
06:06
And that will mean targeting dates when we know that there are launches.
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