Union to Gov: You Are Accountable for Steam Packet

Nautilus International has called on the Treasury to intervene in the dispute between its members and the Steam Packet, telling the gov it is ultimately accountable to the public for what happens now.

The Steam Packet has been criticised by the public and MHKs for issuing notice of termination to officers who refused to accept changes to their pay and conditions just three days before Christmas.

The proposed changes, which have come about since the introduction of the Manxman as the new flagship, are for crews to live on-board the vessel for seven or 14 days at a time, despite some being within minutes of their own homes when docking in Douglas.

While the company yesterday said it wants to find an amicable solution, it also said it ‘feels it has no option in order to bring matters to a conclusion’, hours later it issued notice to those affected staff that they were being sacked.

The Steam Packet has also said that the union has ‘acknowledged that the principal of living aboard was not objected to’ and that it can’t continue negotiations with no end date ‘without any clear idea of what Nautilus is trying to achieve for its members’.

In a letter, published tonight, the Garry Elliott, senior national secretary at Nautilus, has written to Treasury Minister Dr Alex Allison due to what he called the ‘latest escalation by Steam Packet in the ongoing dispute between Nautilus International, representing the vast majority of permanent officers and Manx Sea Transport the crewing agency for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company’.

He said: ‘Steam Packet management have seen fit, at the final hour, three days prior to Christmas, to inform our members that if they do not accept fundamental and unilateral changes to their contracts that have not been agreed through the collective bargaining process, their employment will be terminated at the end of their notice period.

‘This is yet further example of Steam Packet’s disrespect for the long-standing collective bargaining agreement and their utter ambivalence towards our members deeply felt concerns.

‘While Steam Packet were informing the press that they were open to negotiations, it is now clear they were preparing to terminate the employment of some of their most loyal, dedicated, and long-standing officers. The same officers who continued to operate the vessels and secure island supply chains during the pandemic. There is also real concern that requiring temporary staff to cover will affect harmony onboard and the long-term working environment when a resolution is achieved.

‘This decision is not only distressing for our members but is already causing significant reputational damage to the company who is becoming synonymous with unscrupulous employment practices such as fire and rehire.

‘The level of public outrage at this latest unilateral action by the Steam Packet Company has been evident on social media and reflected with our own petition growing by nearly 500 signatures in just a few hours to over 1100 in total.

‘As we have said previously, we respect that Steam Packet is an ‘arms-length’ body, however as the Treasury is the shareholder and is ultimately accountable to the Manx public, the Isle of Man government surely cannot allow a company they own to act with such disregard for due process and the lives of their employees.

‘Our action short of strike commencing at 1800 on 27th December 2023 will continue as planned, and we will be considering further proportionate responses to this latest development. We remain clear; it is time for government to intervene.’