"A recipe for disaster" - RMT threatens Wightlink strike action if "reckless" job cut plans go ahead - Wightlink responds
A maritime union has said it will ballot for strike action if Wightlink does not guarantee that there will be no compulsory redundancies as the ferry operator put up to 50 roles at risk.
RMT have gone into dispute with Wightlink after it opened a 30-day consultation into plans to cut deck officer and port operator roles, as well as close onboard retail overnight, and reduce crewing levels across vessels.
In response, Wightlink told The News that no changes have been decided with the consultation aiming to get feedback on the proposal from staff, as well as the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Department for Transport.
The proposal may affect up to 50 roles but Wightlink have said it will also create 30 new vacancies in the structure, with the company hoping it can be delivered through a “voluntary process”.
The RMT, however, want guarantees that no compulsory redundancies will take place and believe that the plans are a “recipe for disaster”. The union has stated that the changes will make ships less safe, undermine vital services and will put pressure on staff.
Eddie Dempsey, the RMT general secretary, said: “Wightlink’s proposals are an attack on jobs, conditions and above all on safety. Stripping out trained deck officers, cutting shore-side port roles and running ferries at minimum staffing levels is a recipe for disaster in one of the busiest stretches of water in the world.
“Our members have given years of dedicated service keeping the Solent moving and supporting island communities. To repay them with the threat of compulsory redundancy and worse conditions is completely unacceptable.
"RMT will stand shoulder to shoulder with our members at Wightlink. Unless the company withdraws these reckless plans and gives a clear guarantee of no compulsory redundancies, we will ballot for industrial action to defend jobs, safety and service standards across the Solent.”
Wightlink’s proposal are part of five-year company strategy to modernise and improve the business. The company have said that any staff that may be impacted are being supported.
A Wightlink spokesperson said: “This project is needed to modernise and improve efficiency, so we have the right people in the right places at the right times.
"Like many businesses, rising costs and inflationary pressures are having an impact with our cost growth being twice that of our revenue growth over the past year. To ensure we are able to continue investing in our people, our fleet and our ports, we are currently going through a 30-day consultation with our operational staff alongside our union the RMT.
"The proposal may affect up to 50 roles but there are over 30 new vacancies in the proposed structure. We hope to deliver the proposal through a voluntary process, and the suggested changes include no reduction in sailings on any route."