Angry Portsmouth dockyard workers strike outside Royal Navy base

The News, Portsmouth

Prospect union members stage action after being left in the dark over the "afloat services" contract being renegotiated by the government and Serco Maritime.

Transcript

00:00Nothing to see here.

00:27Yeah, if it wasn't for the speed bump, it wouldn't have drawn.

00:58Well, our members are angry because of the fact that the employer hasn't been listening to them.

01:02They've consistently ignored us in the talks around the contract.

01:07They've sidelined us, they've shut us out.

01:09They've not told us what the new contract is.

01:13They were expecting to sign it next month.

01:15I understand that it's been delayed further,

01:18but we have not seen a statement of requirements or anything to tell us about what the contract is.

01:24Our members want to help the employer.

01:27They want to help the Navy with the contract.

01:30They want to help set out a statement of requirements that is accurate to the work they do

01:36and will meet the needs of the Navy.

01:39But the employer has been shutting them out,

01:41and it's been shutting us out when in previous contracts this has never been done.

01:46We've always had engagement in these contracts, and we need it still.

01:50The contract covers vital work across the Navy.

01:53It covers tugging out nuclear submarines at Faslane,

01:57ocean-going vessels, we're talking oil spill coverage,

02:01and vital work across the entire country.

02:05So why do you think workers have been shut out then,

02:07considering that they've been involved in contracts before?

02:11Why wouldn't they be included in this one?

02:13Is it because the company's worried about the MOD trying to save a few quid on this one?

02:17There is the financial pressures on the company from the MOD,

02:22from the general move towards austerity

02:24and foolishly cutting defence spending at the current moment.

02:29But I think that, putting it frankly,

02:32the employer has the ability to come to us,

02:35and it's not related to anything that the MOD is saying.

02:39I think that it's solely the employer deciding to shut us out

02:43and taking an anti-union action against us,

02:46because it feels like the employer thinks that they know better

02:49than the people who actually do the job.

02:52And, as you'd imagine, more people are striking today,

02:55but beyond today it would be action short of a strike.

02:58So could you give us some examples of what that would entail,

03:01and if it has potentially disrupted some of the vital work being done with the Royal Navy already?

03:07I mean, many of our members are not properly covered in their contracts

03:12for the work they do for the duty tugs.

03:15There is potentially disruptive action to be taken around the clock-in system,

03:21and there will be significant harm caused by an overtime ban as well

03:26on many of these ships that require it.

03:29There is potentially a lot of damage that can happen,

03:33and with Unite beginning their ballot as of today,

03:37that will only get worse for the employer unless they come to the table.

03:41And whilst this is our first day of strike action,

03:44it is not necessarily going to be our only day.

03:47We expect that the employer comes back to the table,

03:50we want the employer to come back to the table.

03:52There is either a month or two months left,

03:55depending on the renewal of the contract and the signing date.

03:57Let's get round the table and let's fix this.

04:00So do you think that more industrial action might actually happen

04:04with Unite abolishing their members?

04:06Are you hopeful that that could potentially be avoided?

04:09This can all be avoided if the employer comes to the table.

04:14If Unite ballot, then there is a high chance that we will look at coordinated action together

04:21if they succeed in their ballot.

04:24The potential is there for more action.

04:28We're not going to rule it out on our end either.

04:31We know that we have disrupted naval operations today,

04:36we know that there was a CASD launch that had to happen yesterday at Faslane.

04:40It was supposed to happen today.

04:43The negotiations carry on afterwards, they carry on.

04:48The urgency of signing this is encircling the MOD's front.

04:55We're happy to take as long as it will take.

04:57The reality is that this is a contract that's been run by a single employer

05:03and that there's been a single bidder since I think the fall of the Soviet Union.

05:07Almost 30 years it has been run by Serco.

05:13There is no risk of someone else taking it.

05:16There's nobody else that has the capability to take it.

05:18So really the contract can go on.

05:21The negotiations can go on as long as it needs to get a proper contract

05:25that meets the needs of the Navy and meets the needs of our members

05:28and meets the needs of the company.

05:30But we can't have any of that without the company talking to us

05:33and engaging us in that process.

05:36And if that carries on for the long term,

05:39it could have long term ramifications in the Navy and how it can deploy its fleet.

05:43It could have significant ramifications if this action continues.

05:49We have a mandate until June.

05:52That's potential disruption until June.

05:56And certainly we've played relatively nicely in the run-up to this.

06:02But we will look at strategic action if the employer doesn't come to the table.

06:06And that will mean targeting dates when we know that there are launches.

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