Prospect union members stage action after being left in the dark over the "afloat services" contract being renegotiated by the government and Serco Maritime.
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00:00Nothing to see here.
00:27Yeah, if it wasn't for the speed bump, it wouldn't have drawn.
00:58Well, our members are angry because of the fact that the employer hasn't been listening to them.
01:02They've consistently ignored us in the talks around the contract.
01:07They've sidelined us, they've shut us out.
01:09They've not told us what the new contract is.
01:13They were expecting to sign it next month.
01:15I understand that it's been delayed further,
01:18but we have not seen a statement of requirements or anything to tell us about what the contract is.
01:24Our members want to help the employer.
01:27They want to help the Navy with the contract.
01:30They want to help set out a statement of requirements that is accurate to the work they do
01:36and will meet the needs of the Navy.
01:39But the employer has been shutting them out,
01:41and it's been shutting us out when in previous contracts this has never been done.
01:46We've always had engagement in these contracts, and we need it still.
01:50The contract covers vital work across the Navy.
01:53It covers tugging out nuclear submarines at Faslane,
01:57ocean-going vessels, we're talking oil spill coverage,
02:01and vital work across the entire country.
02:05So why do you think workers have been shut out then,
02:07considering that they've been involved in contracts before?
02:11Why wouldn't they be included in this one?
02:13Is it because the company's worried about the MOD trying to save a few quid on this one?
02:17There is the financial pressures on the company from the MOD,
02:22from the general move towards austerity
02:24and foolishly cutting defence spending at the current moment.
02:29But I think that, putting it frankly,
02:32the employer has the ability to come to us,
02:35and it's not related to anything that the MOD is saying.
02:39I think that it's solely the employer deciding to shut us out
02:43and taking an anti-union action against us,
02:46because it feels like the employer thinks that they know better
02:49than the people who actually do the job.
02:52And, as you'd imagine, more people are striking today,
02:55but beyond today it would be action short of a strike.
02:58So could you give us some examples of what that would entail,
03:01and if it has potentially disrupted some of the vital work being done with the Royal Navy already?
03:07I mean, many of our members are not properly covered in their contracts
03:12for the work they do for the duty tugs.
03:15There is potentially disruptive action to be taken around the clock-in system,
03:21and there will be significant harm caused by an overtime ban as well
03:26on many of these ships that require it.
03:29There is potentially a lot of damage that can happen,
03:33and with Unite beginning their ballot as of today,
03:37that will only get worse for the employer unless they come to the table.
03:41And whilst this is our first day of strike action,
03:44it is not necessarily going to be our only day.
03:47We expect that the employer comes back to the table,
03:50we want the employer to come back to the table.
03:52There is either a month or two months left,
03:55depending on the renewal of the contract and the signing date.
03:57Let's get round the table and let's fix this.
04:00So do you think that more industrial action might actually happen
04:04with Unite abolishing their members?
04:06Are you hopeful that that could potentially be avoided?
04:09This can all be avoided if the employer comes to the table.
04:14If Unite ballot, then there is a high chance that we will look at coordinated action together
04:21if they succeed in their ballot.
04:24The potential is there for more action.
04:28We're not going to rule it out on our end either.
04:31We know that we have disrupted naval operations today,
04:36we know that there was a CASD launch that had to happen yesterday at Faslane.
04:40It was supposed to happen today.
04:43The negotiations carry on afterwards, they carry on.
04:48The urgency of signing this is encircling the MOD's front.
04:55We're happy to take as long as it will take.
04:57The reality is that this is a contract that's been run by a single employer
05:03and that there's been a single bidder since I think the fall of the Soviet Union.
05:07Almost 30 years it has been run by Serco.
05:13There is no risk of someone else taking it.
05:16There's nobody else that has the capability to take it.
05:18So really the contract can go on.
05:21The negotiations can go on as long as it needs to get a proper contract
05:25that meets the needs of the Navy and meets the needs of our members
05:28and meets the needs of the company.
05:30But we can't have any of that without the company talking to us
05:33and engaging us in that process.
05:36And if that carries on for the long term,
05:39it could have long term ramifications in the Navy and how it can deploy its fleet.
05:43It could have significant ramifications if this action continues.
05:49We have a mandate until June.
05:52That's potential disruption until June.
05:56And certainly we've played relatively nicely in the run-up to this.
06:02But we will look at strategic action if the employer doesn't come to the table.
06:06And that will mean targeting dates when we know that there are launches.