A joint trade union week of action in the North Sea offshore (oil and gas) sector to stamp out ‘social dumping’ in the sector has found evidence of the exploitation and humiliation of Romanian workers in the port of Hartlepool, the organisers allege.

The week of action was launched in Aberdeen on 7th February 2012 by North Sea trade unions and affiliates of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) from Norway, Denmark and the UK, backed by partner unions from around the world. They were concerned about the increasing number of ‘flag of convenience’ (FOC) and so-called ‘national’ registered vessels operating on a regular basis in the North Sea, leading to dramatically reduced opportunities for traditional national seafarer jobs, as companies employ and exploit low cost labour from countries such as Lithuania, Latvia, India, Romania and the Philippines (see www.itfglobal.org/press- area/index.cfm/pressdetail/6988/region/1/section/0/order/1).

The ITF’s Offshore Task Force Group was a key organiser of the week and has announced that it plans to alert the UK government’s Low Pay Unit and the UK Health and Safety Executive and ask them to look into the employment and suspected labour abuse of Romanian rig workers in the port of Hartlepool and the apparent nonpayment of wages to them in line with the UK minimum wage. 48 Romanian workers contracted by Romanian company Grup Servicii Petroliere (GSP) (a member of Upetrom Group) to work on their offshore rig GSP Britannia, which is currently berthed in Hartlepool’s Able Seaton Dock, say that they have not been paid since October 2011.

An ITF inspection uncovered that many of these workers appear to have been paid half of the UK minimum wage – receiving only around £3.50 per hour for a 12 hour day, seven days per week. In addition the crew have no contracts of employment. There is one British captain and two Croatian engineers on board the rig and they appear to have been paid their wages. Another 100 GSP company employees in Romania are also seeking assistance from the ITF office in Constanta, stating that they have not been paid since October 2011. The ITF has been trying to negotiate for and on behalf of the workers but says that the company keeps making promises and is reported to have made threats to the workers if they complained to the ITF. Around 17 of the Romanian crew were due to be sent home from the rig yesterday (14th February) after a month working on it. They are unlikely to receive any pay when they get home. 17 replacement crew are then likely to join the rig not knowing if they will get paid at the end of their shift.

The crew has asked the ITF to investigate their rights to receive the UK minimum wage and other rights under UK legislation. ITF Offshore Task Force Group Chair Norrie McVicar has been working to negotiate a deal with the company. He has contacted the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) for advice about the status of the rig and has been told that the rig is technically not a vessel or considered under the Mobile Offshore Drilling  by the ITF both in the UK and Romania and it appears that the company is in real financial difficulties.

Offshore Task Force Group Chair Norrie McVicar said: “This is social dumping at its worst. We call upon all right minded people and trade unions in the region to get behind the campaign to stamp this exploitation out.” He continued: “We’re very disappointed in the company’s response to date, as they say one thing about paying wages and do another. Our experience is that they can’t be trusted. The sad thing is that many of these workers have families with bills to pay and are being bullied out of receiving their just wages, being denied their rights, and are not being paid in accordance with the UK minimum wage. We are being told by these men that the Able Dock Yard is witnessing human beings so frightened to speak out they will work for food just to survive. This type of company should never be trusted to work in the North Sea.”