Seafarers' Pay And The Foreign And Commonwealth Office

EDM number 294 in 2009-10, proposed by Gwyn Prosser on 30/11/2009.
Categorised under the topics of Pay and Shipping.

That this House notes that for a number of years discussions have been taking place in both Houses with the Government and the Trades Union Congress to seek to resolve the horrendous situation whereby ferry company owners and others, whose vessels regularly trade on fixed routes between UK ports, are allowed to pay poverty wages substantially below the minimum wage to non-UK seafarers, including rates as little as £2.00 per hour; welcomes the fact that a number of hon. Members have supported amendments to the Equality Bill which would close this loophole; is therefore dismayed that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is blocking these amendments by claiming that applying the minimum wage on ferries that trade solely between UK ports could mean the UK is in breach of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; further notes that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has adopted this position despite the independent legal advice to the contrary provided to the RMT union and also the advice of the International Transport Workers Federation; is appalled that in the 21st century the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is effectively allowing the continuation of poverty wages to continue in UK waters; and calls on the Foreign Secretary immediately to publish the legal advice on which the Department's blocking action is based and allow the advice to be subject to urgent independent scrutiny.

This motion has been signed by a total of 65 MPs, 1 of these signatures have been withdrawn.