UK Introduces New Bill To Protect Seafarers From Exploitative Employment Practices

The UK Government has introduced new regulations to combat exploitative employment practices in the maritime industry.

The Employment Rights Bill, introduced in Parliament this week, aims to fix the loopholes exploited by P&O Ferries when it controversially fired hundreds of seafarers in 2022.

The bill’s main features include stricter laws around collective dismissal and increased wage protections for seafarers.

Starting December 1, 2024, thousands of sailors working in UK waters will be eligible for wages similar to the National Minimum Wage.

With this initiative, the government ensures that employment rights comply with modern economic demands.

The bill also plans to ban the controversial “fire and rehire” practices, except in cases where employers genuinely don’t have any other option.

The initiative aims to stop employers from using such tactics to reduce wages or undermine working conditions.

The new law will fix a loophole that previously allowed foreign vessel operators to avoid collective redundancy notification rules.

Any operator who intends to lay off 20 or more employees must notify the government or face penalties or fines.

A government spokesperson said that the new bill was introduced to avoid a repeat of the P&O Ferries incident, which caused national outrage in March 2022 when the company fired almost 800 seafarers and replaced them with lower-paid agency workers.

The bill also gives the government the authority to implement international conventions on seafarer employment and sets the foundation for mandatory minimum employment standards at sea.

Government officials stated that these long-awaited changes will ensure that seafarers’ rights are protected, with job security and fair wages becoming top priorities.

The bill comes alongside the implementation of the Seafarer’s Wages Act, which will go into effect on December 1, 2024. Operators who fail to comply with the wage standards will face financial penalties or even be denied port access.

The Transport Secretary said these measures will prevent future national scandals like the P&O Ferries incident, ensuring that cowboy operators cannot exploit workers or undercut fair employers.

Reference: UK Government

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