Seamen Throw Oi Pay Offer
Socialist Press1977 1977-11-23Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 10 →
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Seamen's leaders last week threw out an employers' pay offer which would offer 10½% on the total wage bill, and which was linked to an extra eleven days holiday.
Employers claim that the offer would raise average earnings for seamen abroad to £97 a week.
But National Union • of Seamen negotiators correctly described the offer as "unacceptable".
As seamen will know, 10% does not even keep pace with inflation over the last period.
No preparations have been made however for action to force an improved offer, and negotiations are continuing.
Meanwhile strike ballot papers have been issued to ships officers by the Merchant Navy and Airline Officers' Association, following the refusal of the shipowners to improve on their offer of the f4 Phase 2 maximum, made in June.
If a majority vote for strike action, ships could rapidly be laid up in ports all over the world as officers refuse to sail them back to Britain.
Another pay dispute has stopped shipping in the port of Manchester, 42 lock gate keepers have stopped work after rejecting a pay offer within ghe 10% limit, paralysing shipping in Manchester and ships waiting to get in.