Politics
Gov Won’t Get Involved in Steam Packet Dispute
Onchan MHK Rob Callister had asked for Treasury’s input and response to the ongoing dispute
Negotiations with staff are a matter for the Steam Packet, the Treasury Minister has restated.
The Steam Packet is locked in a dispute with members of the Nautilus union and has made clear it will dismiss staff who refuse to sign up to its reintroduced live-on board policy.
Onchan MHK Rob Callister asked Dr Alex Allinson whether he would encourage the two sides to seek resolution through arbitration or mediation and whether he was intending to meet union leaders when they are on the island.
The Treasury Minister said that the negotiations are ‘a responsibility of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Board and the executive team who are responsible for the operational delivery of services’.
He added: ‘Treasury understands that detailed negotiations have been undertaken over the last two years with all Isle of Man Steam Packet Company employee representatives which include the RMT and Nautilus unions.
‘The company understand the Manx Industrial Relations Service (MIRS) do not have a trained, qualified arbitrator but it is hoped that ongoing negotiations will result in a mutually agreed solution to the current issues regarding staff being asked to remain on board the Manxman to enable greater service reliability and resilience.
‘The Treasury Minister (referring to himself in the third person) was contacted by Gary Elliott, Head of International Organising for Nautilus on September 27 2023. Unfortunately, he was not able to meet with Mr Elliot when he was due to visit the Isle of Man on October 4 and 5 2023 as he was off the island on Parliamentary business.’
Members of the union have refused the Steam Packet’s offers to accept a return to a live on-board structure which was reintroduced with the introduction of the new flagship Manxman and will be carried on to crew on the Ben-my-Chree. Crews on Manannan will not be required to live on board as it doesn’t have the facilities for this.
The company has recently confirmed it has launched a 30 day consultation period with these staff and said it will issue them with three months’ notice if they don’t sign up to the new terms leaving questions over the reliability of the service if these staff, who are mostly officers, are dismissed.
