Unite the Union members working at Red Funnel have announced the dates for 24-hour strike actions in a dispute over pay.
Unite say that 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.
The strikes will impact Cowes Week, which runs from 30th July to 6th August. Further summer holiday 24-hour strike actions will take place on 9th, 11th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 23rd, 26th and 29th August.
Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said,
“Unite will not stand for Red Funnel’s disgusting treatment of these workers. Red Funnel’s owners are awash with cash. They can afford to pay and right the wrongs our members are subjected to.
“Our members are absolutely right to strike to end this injustice. Unite will be supporting them with its full force every step of the way.”
Red Funnel is owned by the £11.5 billion West Midlands Pension Fund and the £3.5 billion Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario.
Turning to food banks
Unite says the customer service staff, shunters and ratings are struggling to pay increased rents and that some are turning to food banks 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 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.
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.
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 real cost of living, currently running, the union says, at 11.7 per cent and rising.
Unite regional officer, Ian Woodland, said,
“Our members don’t want to strike but Red Funnel has left them with no choice. Red Funnel’s treatment of its workforce is the reason Cowes Week and Isle of Wight summer holiday plans will be disrupted.
“There is still time to end this dispute before strikes occur, but Red Funnel needs to come back with an offer that meets our members’ aspirations.”
The Red Jet passenger ferry makes a minimum of 21 crossings between Southampton and west Cowes on Monday to Saturday and 15 on Sunday. The car ferry makes at least 19 crossings daily between Southampton and east Cowes.
Red Funnel: We expect to keep sailing on these dates
Leanna Lakes, Operations Director at Red Funnel, said,
“Unite has confirmed a series of dates for industrial action.
“We expect to keep sailing on these dates, albeit to a revised vehicle ferry timetable. Our Hi-Speed Red Jet service is expected to operate as scheduled.
“Now that we have dates in hand, we can proceed to finalising an updated timetable, which we intend to share by Wednesday, 13th July. In the meantime, we ask that customers bear with us and please refrain from calling our contact centre team with related queries at this time.
“As ever, our priority is to ensure the Island community remains connected and that we continue to provide our lifeline service.”
Article edit
2.40pm 11th Jul 2022 – Update from RF added
