The UK and Manx governments must bring in new controls to prevent unfair competition based on low-cost foreign crews and flag of convenience ships, the maritime professionals’ union Nautilus International is warning.
The Union’s alert comes as fresh plans have been tabled for a new ferry service between the Isle of Man and Liverpool to challenge the long-established Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.
The Ellan Vannin Line, owned by Sea Alliance Ltd, is claiming that it will ‘bring down prices and improve customer service’ when it launches a freight service later this year and a passenger service by April 2014.
Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson said the plans raised some serious questions. ‘The company behind this proposal claims the new service will bring down prices, but we have to ask at what cost? The Isle of Man Steam Packet provides a safe, reliable and quality service and as history has shown us there simply isn’t room for competition – and especially competition that undermines its values by the use of cheap foreign labour.
‘We have yet to see these latest plans materialise, but we suspect linkage to the failed Mezeron operation which sought to bring in Estonian-flagged ferries with cheap crews on substandard employment conditions,’ he added.
‘We dispute the assumptions behind these latest proposals, as there is clear independent evidence from the Tynwald Select Committee that the Steam Packet fares are very competitive,’ Mr Dickinson pointed out. ‘We will join forces with other unions and resist any attempt to undermine our members’ jobs through unfair and exploitative competition and believe that this new threat once again demonstrates the urgent need for governments to bring in the measures to protect British jobs, terms and conditions on ferry services to and from the Isle of Man.’
