Royal Fleet Auxiliary sailors 'taking stand' as seafarers strike amid bitter pay row - even on deployment
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Disgruntled Royal Fleet Auxiliary seafarers have gone on strike amid a prolonged row over pay and conditions.
Members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) took industrial action after rejecting a recent pay offer. Demonstrations took place across the country and even on active Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ships.
RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said pressure will continue to be mounted on the Ministry of Defence (MoD), stating the government body has not provided clear information whether contracts meet minimum wage legislation.
“Our members in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary are taking a principled stand today and I congratulate them,” he added. “They have made their position clear. They will not accept substandard pay offers and are prepared to take further strike action if necessary to get the pay rise they deserve.
“Our members play a vital role in supporting the Navy, often in some of the most demanding and dangerous working conditions. But they have faced years of below par pay and unresolved concerns about conditions.
“The MoD and the employer now need to come forward with a serious, long-term commitment to improving pay and conditions, including ensuring they comply with National Minimum Wage legislation, if they are serious about retaining staff.”
What is the ongoing situation?
Picket lines were held in Portland, Falmouth, and Birkenhead. Demonstrations were also held on RFA Lyme Bay n Gibraltar, which was recently converted into a mine-hunting “mothership”.
RMT union members will also be striking on April 16. During industrial action, seafarers will maintain the safety of all vessels, including the manage of moorings and gangways. The union said civilian personnel can routinely work up to 12 hours a day in some of the world’s most dangerous environments on the frontline.
They said is no clear or transparent formula setting out how pay is calculated against those hours. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been approached for comment.
RFA personnel are civilian seafarers who play a vital role in support the Royal Navy on various deployments. Their job is to extend the reach of warships and keep them at sea for longer by providing them with fuel, equipment, supplies, mechanical engineering expertise and other tools.
They were the unsung heroes of HMS Prince of Wales’ deployment on Operation Highmast, where the UK Carrier Strike Group conducted various exercises and diplomatic engagements in the Indo-Pacific. RFA Tideforce recently carried out a replenishment at sea exercise with HMS Dragon when the Type 45 destroyer was en-route to the eastern Mediterranean.
A 4.5 per cent pay increase was offered in January this year, which was rejected after being described as “wholly inadequate and failing to address years of below-inflation offers, minimum wage concerns and a growing retention crisis across the service”. Multiple strikes took place in Portsmouth in 2024. Other issues raised include staff shortages, and people being “harassed” into returning to work early from holidays to plug gaps in deployments.