The UK government is intending to bring in new laws that would protect seafarers following the widescale sackings of P&O Ferries’ staff in 2022. The sackings led to protests at ports throughout the UK at the time.
The new law will force any operator that calls into UK ports at least 120 times per year to pay staff according to the UK minimum wage while the vessel is operating in UK waters. This will be accompanied by new laws surrounding redundancy notification requirements for operators of foreign vessels. If 20 or more seafarers are to be dismissed, there will be a legal requirement to notify the government.
The UK government is also exploring options to introduce mandatory employment standards at sea – by setting minimum standards for operators on working conditions. More information can be found here.
