Crunch talks are to take place between union chiefs and management at Serco Marine in Plymouth in a bid to avert further strikes by tugboat crews.
There have already been walkouts by workers this year as part of a long-running dispute centring on the imposition of a new “three weeks on and three weeks off” roster introduced in December 2020.
The most recent one was a four-day strike in May 2021, and now Unite the Union has confirmed that top-level talks are to take place after members voted to renew their strike mandate.
Devonport tug dispute - the story so far
That means there could be further walkouts if the talks, set to centre on whether Serco is compliant with Maritime and Coastguard Agency regulations, fail.
Terry Keefe, Unite regional coordinating officer said: “Our tugboat crew members at Devonport, employed by outsourcing giant Serco, have voted to renew their strike mandate.
“A meeting with management is being arranged. The outcome of that meeting will determine the next steps that our members may take.”
In May, about 40 tugboat crew members at Devonport naval base took part in a four-day strike. This followed two 24-hour strikes in April, which the union called “well supported” but which Serco said did not cause it problems.
The long-running dispute centres on the imposition of a new “three weeks on and three weeks off” roster introduced in December, which Unite has repeatedly said poses serious health and safety risks for its members, including excessive tiredness.
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It also has adverse implications for their annual leave entitlement, the union said, and it wants the previous “one week on, one week off” system restored.
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Business Live's South West Business Reporter is William Telford. William has more than a decade's experience reporting on the business scene in Plymouth and the South West. He is based in Plymouth but covers the entire region.
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In May union chiefs accused Serco Marine of bringing in “strike-breaking” tugs to operate at Devonport while crews were carrying out industrial action
Unite asked if the tugs the outsourcing giant employed from elsewhere conformed to strict “nuclear compliant” regulations. The Ministry of Defence categorically said the tugs had been thoroughly checked and were safe. Unite accused Serco of using “external towage operators” from ports, such as Fowey, in Cornwall, and Portland, in Dorset, when its tugboat crew members took strike action. Serco did not respond to the allegations.