The UK government has unveiled the Employment Rights Bill, introduced within 100 days of the new government coming to office, to help deliver economic security and growth to businesses, workers and communities across the UK, a move welcomed by global trade union Nautilus International.
The Employment Rights Bill is expected to introduce new protections specifically devised for seafarers, toughening the laws around collective dismissal, and cementing seafarer wage protections in UK law.
The Bill, being introduced to Parliament this week, will seek to outlaw fire and rehire by requiring employers to prove there is no reasonable financial alternative to letting staff go.
Vessel operators planning to dismiss 20 or more employees will first be legally required to notify the UK Government.
The bill will bring forward 28 individual employment reforms, from ending exploitative zero hours contracts and fire and rehire practices to establishing day one rights for paternity, parental and bereavement leave for millions of workers.
Statutory sick pay will also be strengthened, removing the lower earnings limit for all workers and cutting out the waiting period before sick pay kicks in.
Large employers will also be required to create action plans on addressing gender pay gaps and supporting employees through the menopause, and protections against dismissal will be strengthened for pregnant women and new mothers.
Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner said: “This government is delivering the biggest upgrade to rights at work for a generation, boosting pay and productivity with employment laws fit for a modern economy. We’re turning the page on an economy riven with insecurity, ravaged by dire productivity and blighted by low pay.”
“Ending the scourge of meaningless fire and rehire, a damaging practice that has caused widespread instability for maritime professionals, is a victory for seafarers’ rights and a strong message of fairness and respect for all workers,” said Nautilus International director of organising Martyn Gray.
“Ensuring that all seafarers regularly working in UK waters are paid at least the national minimum wage equivalent is a welcome development, addressing a long-standing issue of wage exploitation in the industry,” he added.
While Nautilus International acknowledges that these measures are an essential milestone in advancing the rights of seafarers, the union believes that further strengthening of these protections is needed.
As the government’s proposed Employment Rights Bill progresses through Parliament, Nautilus will continue to advocate for additional safeguards to ensure that all seafarers are afforded the same level of protection and dignity, regardless of their nationality or the flags of the vessels they work on.
“This is just the beginning,” Mr Gray added. “We will work closely with lawmakers as the Bill moves forward to ensure it delivers the strongest possible protections for seafarers and maritime professionals.”
