Picket lines have been formed at Red Funnel’s East Cowes and Southampton terminals this morning (Wednesday) as the first day of strike action by staff gets underway.
As tourists descend on the Isle of Wight for the summer holidays they are not only being greeted with significant travel disruption but also placards from those taking industrial action.
Unite the Union members have walked out today for a period of 24 hours and intend to strike again on 1st, 3rd, 5th, 9th, 11th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 23rd, 26th and 29th August. Industrial action only affects the vehicle ferry service from East Cowes to Southampton, with Red Jet services to and from West Cowes unaffected.
Around 20% of the cross-Solent operator’s workforce – 120 people – are striking in the ongoing row over pay, with demands of a 16% increase – some 9.5% higher than what Red Funnel are willing to pay.
It’s said that customer service advisers and catering assistants on Wightlink earn £13.42 an hour. The hourly pay for the equivalent roles on Red Funnel is just £9.50, a difference of £3.92. Wightlink cleaners earn £10.99 per hour, while Red Funnel cleaners are on £9.50.
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary, has said:
“Pay and out of pocket expenses are so bad at Red Funnel that staff are using food banks to survive. It’s horrendous, especially when workers doing the same jobs on the same stretch of water are earning nearly £4 an hour more.
“There is no justification for Red Funnel and its owners, who have billions in the bank, to pay such disgraceful wages. Unite will fight them every step of the away until there is a decent pay offer.”
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Ian Woodland, Unite regional officer, adds:
“Red Funnel have the boats and they have routes on one of the most expensive stretches of water in the world. But their operations are crumbling because the company doesn’t invest in its ships and they don’t pay the rate for the job. It’s not normal work, there’s long shifts, time spent away from home and all staff are responsible for passenger safety in the event of an emergency. Wightlink recognises this, which is why their operations are not in such a shambles.”
Fran Collins, Chief Executive at Red Funnel, has said:
“It is incredibly disappointing that, despite our fair and reasonable offer, Unite members have chosen to strike.
“We value all our colleagues and are keen to recognise their contribution to the company. However, pay increases must also be considered in line with what the business and its customers can sustain to ensure we can continue to provide lifeline services to the Isle of Wight, protect the Island economy and ensure a sustainable future for our business in its 161st year. This claim is in relation to 2022 pay and should have been settled by January 2022. We are pleased that pay claims for all other colleagues have already been settled for 2022. Our offer of 4.5% (and 6.3% for 6 ranks) is fair and reasonable and aligns with our industry. We are sympathetic to the current cost of living challenges but reiterate that they did not play a part in our pay talks.
“It is important to recognise Red Funnel is owned by three pension funds, one in Canada and two in the UK, which represent a range of former public and private sector workers. Those pension funds have not taken any money out of the business in the last three years. They have provided millions of pounds of finance to support Red Funnel throughout the pandemic and with essential recovery. We were also supported by the Government to secure the provision of essential services during the darkest days of the pandemic but must now manage our own recovery as a business.
“Our absolute priority today (27.07.22) is continuing to provide a lifeline service, ensuring passengers can travel safely for work, education, and essential medical appointments. We will also be supporting our colleagues who are working. We are working hard to minimise disruption for our customers and to date we have rebooked 25,000 bookings onto alternative sailings throughout strike days in August.
“It is not appropriate for us to comment on other businesses; however, we are keen to recognise our teams in the bargaining unit (which excludes our cleaning colleagues) with a pay increase. We can only do this once this dispute has been resolved. We give a range of pay and benefits to our colleagues as well as their base pay. Despite the challenges and rising costs, as recognition of our teams’ loyalty and dedication in 2021 we were able to offer a 1% pay uplift for all colleagues, plus staff bonuses and recognition payments that on average, paid out £991 per employee. We have also taken the opportunity to enhance employee benefits in addition to the 2022 salary uplift offer. These include enhanced sick pay and annual leave arrangements, opportunity to receive private medical insurance, and review the long-service scheme to recognise loyalty in addition to payment for the additional Jubilee bank holiday weekend, regardless of contract type.
“As a 24-hour business we provide colleagues with access to hotels or fully equipped ensuite accommodation, which has been inspected and approved by HSE. Unite the Union has been invited to view the accommodation facilities, which they have not yet done.
“We continue to engage with Unite in an effort to resolve this dispute as soon as possible and sincerely apologise that our customers are inconvenienced by this situation.”
UPDATE @ 12:18 – Red Funnel says that will be consolidating 2 round trips this evening into 1 new sailing at 21:00:
Affected sailings:
Southampton – East Cowes – 19:30
Southampton – East Cowes – 22:30
New sailing:
Southampton – East Cowes – 21:00
East Cowes – Southampton – 22:30
Customers are being informed and will be transferred to the 18:00 or the 21:00 sailings.
Sack the whole lot of them.Employ us Philippines and we work hard.No strike.We finish at nutrik soon.
Lol if you’re happy to work on the bread line then go ahead – you are only enabling Red Funnel’s vile greed though.
go and read Red Funnels publicly available accounts to end december 2020
21 directors served during the year with about 15 still on the books at december. How much did that lot trouser in cash each for the year.
They spent £859,000 on directors emoluments and the highest paid director got £177,000 annual salary.
Total spend on salaries was about £15.8 million, including directors pay.
it is no wonder that the lower paid staff that keep things going are annoyed, when those sat in the offices are rinsing it for all its worth
also stated in their accounts.
total compensation to key management personnel was £615,000 for services to the company
Red Funnel paid visit isle of wight £86k and one of Red Funnel directors is a director at visit isle of wight
Red Funnel was paid £5,000 by UKSA for ferry travel – two Red Funnel directors are directors at UKSA
Red Funnel paid the IOW chamber of commerce £4k – a Red Funnel director is a director at the IOW chamber of commerce
Make what you will of that.
It’s frustrating and will cause chaos for many people. However fair play for people standing up for something they believe in. Look at the state of how the UK has become. People have had enough of the bigwigs always getting a decent pay increase whilst people are genuinely struggling financially.
It will continue as long as ordinary working class people vote Tory.
Baffling
Please tell us, how the government of this country, has caused a global rise in prices and inflation.
If you were working in a factory operating a lathe (for instance) and the factory next door had the same kit and were paying £4 an hour more what would the sane person do to try to help themselves?
Apparently many of their staff have left, for better paid jobs. But they can’t all work for Wightlink.
The “factory next door” would be Wightlink. They currently have two vacancies, a marketing executive and a Cafe steward (£11.08 per hour).
Red Funnel:
Customer advisor : £9.50/hr
Catering assistants (multiple) : £10.64/hr
Stores operative : £9.50/hr
Engineer Officer : £18/hr
High Speed Technician : £18/hr
So the “other factory” has one job that might fit one of the “disgruntled” employees. What about the rest?
Do as others have done for generations, re-locate to get a better paid job if necessary rather than standing in a line expecting someone else to take responsibility.
I hear P&O have staff vacancies
The sign you can afford to pay up is that aimed at the poor red funnel customers who will have to pay even more soon
Did you read the article, Red Funnel justify because the profits go to pension investments. Great to have pension investments, but not at the expense of employees (or the environment, in other cases)
My state pension is, thankfully, still increased with inflation. I strongly believe that the wages of our fantastic keyworkers, many being among the lowest paid, should also be increased with the rate of inflation. I went to support the Red Funnel strikers this morning. I urge everyone to support our keyworkers across the country. Clapping is not enough.
They should try and live on state pension and then they would have something to gripe about, get back to work and be thankful you have a job
The triple linked state pension that has seen real-terms increases every year since the Tories came to power while essential workers have seen real-terms pay cuts every year you mean?
The Tories know their core voters. Trouble is that banking on oldies to back them is risky. They die off and new pensioners who have been through 12 years of austerity may not be as forgiving.
yeah, index linked pension, free bus passes, free prescriptions & a blue badge, must be a terrible struggle!
My state pension will, thankfully, be increased to match inflation. I strongly believe that the wages of our fantastic keyworkers, many amongst the lowest paid, should also go up to match inflation. I went to support the Red Funnel strikers this morning at East Cowes. I urge everyone to support our keyworkers across the country. Clapping is not enough.
I’m foreign. I get lots of money
sack them all and give the jobs to the Ukrainians. give them a chance to pay their own way instead of having to live on handouts
Full on agree..
keep it up staffers! We support you!
I’m not sure that photos of them laughing and hugging each other will go down very well with their customers.
I have no idea how much they earn but, for me at least, they’re giving off the wrong message. If I was one of the people forced to change my travel plans, whether holiday, business, hospital etc, the last thing I’d want to see is Red Funnel employees thinking it’s just fun and games.
I see that Wightlink employs cleaners; really? December 2021, I travelled on Wighlinks ‘flagship’ vessel, where I noticed grime within the gent’s toilets. I subsequently wrote, in the filth, “clean me”. In February 2022, I travelled on the same vessel where I noticed the ‘clean me’ hadn’t been touched.
I remember the days when British Rail owned Sealink; you would get a tasteless cup of tea in a cup & saucer with a crack. Passengers and staff were told there would be improvement when ferry companies went private. I question that as I often observe (I lip-read) disgruntled staff on both Red Funnel and Wightlink.
That is quite a difference in the hourly rate which is good to know for us the general public. Now we need Red Funnel to let us know what the other job titles, including the managers and the CEO are paid and also how much the shareholders are raking in annually. If they are brave enough to publish these facts then we can judge for ourselves if the workers are just being greedy or are justified in their actions. I am not for or against the strike action at the moment but a bit of transparency would be good to sway my judgement one way or the other.
Times are hard for Red Funnel CEO’s, we only made 45 million profit last year, my Bentley & villa in Tuscany won’t fund itself you know!
Probably the most pathetic strike photo I have ever seen.
Sack the lot of them, the service has been and continues to be absolutely appalling, from the head office lack of response to the terminal staff they are so naive to everyday life, they don’t care about the public’s emergency’s or daily commutes, even the boat being 10 minutes late they aren’t bothered. The cancellations have cause chaos which again they aren’t interested in,
They do not deserve a 16% pay rise it’s absolutely ludacris! Season tickets holders can’t demand a 16% pay rise to pay for half of there ticket a year. Don’t like it, find another job.
About time they built a bridge!
Solidarity with the Unite members on the picket line today, GKN next…
Go for it guys! You deserve a pay rise, Red funnel make thousands of pounds a day. Ignore some of the stupid comments on here. X
Easy jump ship go to wightlink
£18 per hour for an engineer – absolutely disgusting. Even an apprentice should start on 50% more than that. Who are they kidding?
Everyone in the country should strike!
Best thing to do if possible is get yourself a trade when you leave school plumber electrician carpenter bricklayer etc. You will always be in demand you will always earn half decent money and you will always have it to fall back on. And you won’t have to put up with having the piss taken out of you by these greedy companies.
Sack them see how far the pay goes then on jobseekers….or go McDonald’s after a month as your forced to take any job
Thousands of jobs around their choice to work for Red Funnel