Royal Naval shipping movements around Plymouth could face severe disruption if specialist tug operators at Devonport naval base go on strike, a union warns.
Around 40 tractor tug crew members, employed by Serco Marine, are being balloted for strike action after their employer announced their working pattern would change from one-week-on and one-week-off to three-weeks-on and three-weeks-off.
The duty rota changes also mean the workers will lose annual leave allocations, the Unite union claims.
Unite said its members are “extremely angry and ready to fight” against the proposed changes, which will “dangerously” increase fatigue amongst tug crews, who deal with a whole host of military vessels, including nuclear submarines.
Moving from a one-week to a three-week rota will also adversely affect the crew members’ home and family lives.
A ballot opens on Tuesday, November 24, 2020, and will close on Wednesday, December 2, with possible strike action beginning as early as December, the union said.
Unite regional officer Terry Keefe said: “Devonport tug crews have delivered a 100^ success rate right through the coronavirus crisis, even though much of Serco’s dockside management was absent.
“While our members were out on the water keeping operations going, their bosses were sat at home planning changes that will dangerously increase fatigue amongst crews, deprive them of annual leave and play havoc with people’s personal lives.
“Serco Marine will not enter into sensible negotiations and have refused an offer to join talks mediated by the conciliation service Acas, primarily, we believe, because their proposals will be exposed as unreasonable and made in bad faith.
“Our members are extremely angry and ready to fight against what are in effect attacks on their quality of life. Unite is confident that the strike ballot will result in a 'yes' vote. This is not something our members want to do, but they have been forced into a corner by Serco Marine.
“Before we get to the point where Royal Navy shipping movements face severe disruptions, we urge Serco Marine to recognise how damaging these rota changes will be, get back around the table and resolve this unnecessary dispute in a reasonable manner.”
In 2017 Unite, the country’s largest union, has balloted Devonport members about potential industrial action after what it described as a “derisory” pay offer made to tug crew.
Serco has been approached for comment.
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