'Minds put at ease' over potential job losses at Carnival UK

Despite fears that furloughed positions would become redundancies as the year wore on, it appears that seafarers at Carnival UK are safe for now.

A source told Nautilus that the company had written to employees with assurances that no one is being made redundant at the moment, despite the ongoing suspension of cruise travel due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

'If any redundancies need to happen in the future,' the source continued, 'we were told it won't be a surprise and it will all be negotiated in the proper fashion through the Union. So this has put a lot of minds at ease!'

Crew members required to work on Carnival UK vessels in lay-up describe a rather quiet, lonely existence maintaining the cruise ships at berth, but they say the company has been watching over its employees' mental health.

Nautilus national organiser Steve Doran said the employer had done the right thing by retaining workers during the pandemic shut-down, and would reap the benefits when skilled maritime professionals were on hand to build up the business again as cruise travel cautiously resumes later in the year.

Looking at the broader plight of the cruise sector during the pandemic, international organiser Danny McGowan added: 'Nautilus is working with the International Transport Workers' Federation and other ITF affiliates to secure the best possible outcomes for our members in the international cruise industry, and to help the industry bounce back as soon as it is safe to do so. We hope that by working together with these unions, the cruise industry will continue to be a valuable source of employment for seafarers around the world.'