Diary Of Events
P&O
SEAFARERS DISPUTE
DOVER 1988/99
January 87
P&O
acquires ‘Townsend Thoresen’. Crews told their jobs and contracts would be
honored.
March 87
‘HERALD
OF FREE ENTERPRISE’ capsized with the loss of 191 lives.
December 87
P&O
changes its mind and demands immediate implementation of the Rationalization
Programme, which would
reduce the manning level of ratings 400, plus 20% reduction of officers.
February 88
Crews
of all 11 ships were balloted. P&O’s plan was overwhelmingly rejected on
the grounds of Safety.
AN OFFICIAL STRIKE COMMENCES
March 88
The
National Union of Seamen informs A.C.A.S. it would negotiate savings, but only
over a phased period, and would accept arbitration with ‘Safety in mind’.
P&O group rejected arbitration.
April 88
P&O
sacked 2000 striking seafarers who rejected the ‘New Contract’ on the
grounds of Safety. P&O employed a SCAB workforce, many of whom were
untrained.
August 88
Strikers
maintain picket lines and were supported financially and morally by
THE
OFFICIAL STRIKE CONTINUES WITH THE FULL
June 89
Strikers
balloted with union recommendation to end the strike. This was accepted
by a small majority.
STRIKERS WERE
LEFT WITH NO JOBS AND NO REDUNDANCIES
Ex
Strikers were assured: ‘This is not the finish” and that their case would be
taken all the way to Europe and that the Commercial war with P&O would
continue.
EX
STRIKERS AWAIT FURTHER NEWS.
February 91
The
International Labour Organisation of which the U.K. Government is a signatory,
concluded that the Conservative Government and P&O European Ferries (Dover)
were in breach of I.L.O. conventions in sacking the striking seafarers whilst
on an official strike. It called for an incoming Labour Government to implement
the T.L.O. Conventions 87 and 98.
July 93
Ex
P&O Strikers Committee meet with Union and it is agreed that further legal
advice should be sought. The result of legal advice from John Hendy Q.C. and Bob
Hepple concluded:
At
the moment the union (R.M T.) has a very powerful support in the form of the
conclusions of the I.L.0. committee on the Freedom of Association for their
resolution calling on an incoming Labour Government to enact as soon as possible
Employment Legislation to meet obligations arising from IL 0. Conventions 87
and 98.
July 94
A
resolution calling upon an incoming Labour Government to implement the findings
of the I.L.O. Conventions 87 and 98 and to seek compensation for the sacked
seafarers, was unanimously passed at the R.M.T. Annual General Meeting
(Liverpool).
October 94
This same resolution was endorsed at the Labour Party Annual Conference under Composite Resolution 10 (section 9).
November 94
National
Petition launched to MP’s, Trade Unions, Trades Councils. Its has been, and
continues to be a tremendous success.
June 95
A
delegation went to the European Parliament for 3 days, led by Mark Watts MEP
(East Kent). They were received by the President Klaus Hansh, and amongst many
others MEP’s; Stephen Hughs, Brian Simpson and Glenys Kinnock. After
addressing Parliamentary MP’s they received the full support of All
Socialist MEP’s.
July 96
R.M.T.
Annual General Meeting (Ayr) unanimously re- affirmed continued support for
sacked seafarers.
September 96
Petition
sent to European Parliament to be considered for admission.
6th
March 1997
At
Ex P&O Strikers Meeting Mark Watts MEP announced that the Petition had been
accepted by the European Parliament for debate.
13th
February 98
10th
Anniversary... Reunion Meeting
In
a letter, Mark Watts MEP offered to try and set up a meeting with Jeffrey
Stirling.
RMT
Re-affirmed their support.
30
MEP’s send letters of support.
7th
October 98
Gen.
Sec. Jimmy Knapp (RMT) met Ian Mc Carthy MP (Minister of State at the department
of Trade and Industry) to discuss the 1991 ILO decisions on the dismissal of
P&O workers. Our group attended the meeting; it was agreed to meet further
when the European reports were known.
12th
October 98
At
Ex P&O Meeting, Mark Watts MEP announced that the European Petitions
Committee endorsed unanimously that our case needs further investigation. They
have referred the matter to the ‘Social Affairs Committee’ and the
‘Transport Committee’ for formal investigation.
27th
August 99
At
Ex P&O Meeting, Mark Watts MEP, pledged his continued support to seek
‘Justice and Compensation’ for Ex P&O Strikers, and urged for a vigorous
campaign with U.K. MP’s, Trades Unions and supporters to support our petition,
now firmly lodged within the European Parliament.
June 2000
Delegation of our Committee led by Mark
Watts MEP and Bob Crow (Assistant General Secretary RMT) went to the House of
Commons, and met Alan Simpson MP along with Tony Benn Diane Abbott.
It was suggested we seek the support of all supportive and sympathetic
MPs.
15th June 2001
A Mass Meeting at Deal Welfare Club agreed
to accept the offer of Gwyn Prosser MP to facilitate a meeting at Westminster
with “Supportive MP’s” along with our delegation. Also for our case to
seek more publicity, and arrange the setting up of a website.
Mark Watts MEP pledged his continued support
and stated that “Our Petition” was still firmly in place at the “European
Parliament”.
23rd October 2001
Meeting arranged with "Supportive MP's" at the House of Commons 2pm.
A MEETING OF ALL MEMBERS WILL BE HELD AT
DEAL WELFARE CLUB 7.30 PM
FRIDAY 9TH NOVEMBER 2001.
DUTY FREE CONCEESSIONS
HAVE DOUBLED
Two of the reasons in 1987 P&O demanded
“Rationalisation” for, were because of the threat of the Channel Tunnel, and
possible abolition Duty Free Sales.
In fact since 1994 traffic and passengers
has increased dramatically. Since then there has been such an increase in “Booze Runs”
on the Channel Services that it has been an embarrassment to the Government and
local business. At the same time
creating vast profits for P&O out of the excuses they made in “cut
backs” of crews in 1988 and the sacking of seafarers.
Lord Stirling was a personal adviser to Margaret Thatcher, and along with Norman Tebbit was responsible for the instigation of even more stringent anti Trade Union Laws.
| A company
that, in the opinion of many, should have been prosecuted for
corporate manslaughter after the Zeebrugge tragedy, used the
government’s anti-trade union laws to criminalise a union and its
members. Our crime’? Standing up for safety at sea, our members’
dignity and rights hard-won by British seafarers over a century of
struggle.
Our members in Dover have become the standard bearers in the Trade Union Movement’s fight against the most vicious set of anti-working class laws passed this century’. They are fighting, not for higher pay or shorter hours, hut to ensure your right to travel by Sea in safety. Sam McCluskie General Secretary National Union of Seamen (1988) |