Isle of Wight ferry company, Red Funnel (RF), have announced their revised summer timetable in light of the strike dates announced earlier this week by RF members of Unite the Union.
Around 120 Red Funnel staff working on the Southampton-Cowes route, the majority of whom are on the minimum wage, will take 24-hour strike actions on 27th July and 1st, 3rd and 5th August.
Further summer holiday 24-hour strike actions will take place on 9th, 11th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 23rd, 26th and 29th August.
Red Funnel followed this news by announcing they would continue to keep sailing on those dates, albeit to a reduced timetable.
The changes are sailings become roughly every hour and a half instead of every hour, with the removal of boats through the night.
The Red Jet service is unaffected by the strike action.
4.5 per cent pay offer rejected
The workers have rejected a pay offer of 4.5 per cent from Red Funnel, increasing to 6.5 per cent for the lowest paid staff, far below, the union says, of the real cost of living, currently running at 11.7 per cent and rising.
Turning to food banks
Unite the Union says the customer service staff, shunters and ratings are struggling to pay increased rents and that some are turning to foodbanks and ‘making the most’ of onboard food allowances at work to keep bills down.
They go on to say that Red Funnel workers are often away from home for days at a time and are only paid the hours they work onboard the ferry, with no overnight subsidies provided for food or other expenses.
Inappropriate accommodation
The accommodation provided by Red Funnel is located within its Southampton headquarters.
Workers say there are no cooking facilities except a microwave, the accommodation has long standing problems with ant infestations and sleep is often disturbed by office staff coming into work.
Collins: Prepared robust contingency plans
Fran Collins, CEO at Red Funnel, said,
“I am incredibly disappointed that members have voted for strike action. Our priority, as always, is to ensure that the Island remains connected and that we continue to provide the lifeline services that so many rely upon.
“We have prepared robust contingency plans to ensure essential services are maintained and to minimise disruption as far as possible.
We will issue a revised timetable by Tuesday 12th July and we will contact all customer directly affected by any changes. We can confirm that customers with bookings between 5th-19th July will not be affected by industrial action.
“We are keen to recognise and reward all colleagues, particularly during these uncertain times, however we must be realistic in terms of what the business can afford to ensure we continue to provide lifeline services for our customers, promoting the long-term success of the Island economy.”
