Royal Fleet Auxiliary to picket in Birkenhead in dispute over pay

The action by members of the Nautilus union will end on the first day of the Labour party conference in Liverpool on Sunday.

Union members will mount picket lines and demonstrations in Birkenhead and Portland, Dorset, during the strikes.

It will be the third walkout since mid August, when officers staged their first strike in the 120-year history of the service.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union at the RFA will strike for three days from next Monday in the same dispute.

Nautilus said officers had suffered a real terms pay cut of more than 30% since 2010 and had a 4.5% pay offer imposed on them in November 2023.

Nautilus director of organising, Martyn Gray, said, “Labour have ended public sector pay disputes in the NHS, railways and others, but the proud merchant seafarers of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary are yet again being forced to the picket line.

“The RFA is currently facing a recruitment and retention crisis, our members are undertaking more complex operations, traditionally reserved for the Royal Navy, with less pay and fewer people.

“The RFA is overworked, underpaid and undervalued. This is not sustainable.

“This strike action isn’t just about a single year’s pay rise, this is about setting a foundation upon which to rebuild the sustainability of the RFA.

“Despite ongoing discussions between unions and the Ministry of Defence, no new offer has been made.

“Until a new pay offer is made that reflects the pay erosion, the recent high rate of inflation, and presents a pathway for the future, we will continue to take action.

“If the new Government is serious about supporting the nation’s defence, they must bring this dispute to an end with a fair pay offer for the RFA.”

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “The Royal Fleet Auxiliary are highly valued, specialist personnel. We are committed to listening to their concerns and keeping a continued dialogue to address the issues they have raised.”