UK govt steps in to protect seafarers

This legislation aims to strengthen laws surrounding collective dismissal and secure seafarer wage protections in UK law, and is in part a response to the 2022 P&O Ferries scandal where nearly 800 seafarers were unjustly dismissed and replaced with lower-paid agency workers.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh called the mass sacking a ‘national scandal’. “We are closing the legal loophole that P&O Ferries exploited,” she said.

“Make no mistake – this is good for workers and good for business. Cowboy operators like P&O Ferries will no longer be able to act with impunity, undercutting good employers in the process.”

Key provisions of the bill will eliminate ‘fire and rehire’ practices, except in genuine cases of necessity, thereby preventing a race to the bottom in employment standards.

The government will also close the loophole exploited by P&O Ferries by requiring operators of foreign vessels to notify the government before dismissing 20 or more employees, with potential penalties including unlimited fines for non-compliance.

Additionally, the government will introduce measures to implement international conventions on seafarer employment and explore mandatory minimum standards for working conditions at sea.

The Employment Rights Bill coincides with the upcoming Seafarer’s Wages Act, which mandates that operators using UK ports must pay seafarers at least the UK national minimum wage. Failure to comply could result in financial penalties and restricted port access.