After weeks of industrial action, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) returned to the negotiating table with Nautilus International to discuss a pay settlement for members at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA).
On Tuesday 2 July, representatives of Nautilus, the RMT union and the MoD held joint talks relating to the ongoing pay dispute.
Nautilus stressed the continued undervaluing of RFA maritime professionals and reiterated that the imposed 2023/2024 pay award must be built upon to both resolve the dispute and to tackle the ongoing challenge of retention and recruitment.
Nautilus expects an offer to be made that is reflective of this discussion, one that supports the drive towards meaningful consolidated improvements to members' pay and conditions, both retrospectively and in the future.
Limited discussion was given towards future pay awards as members must have the opportunity to evaluate the benefits of any such proposal.
Next steps
Following the UK general election on 4 July, John Healey MP was appointed Secretary of State for Defence by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Nautilus will continue its political and media engagement, seeking a solution to the current dispute and delivering a pathway for the future.
While the Union remains hopeful of a speedy resolution to the current dispute now that the election has concluded, Nautilus is exploring the possibility of re-balloting members to protect the continuing mandate for industrial action. Members will be kept updated of any decisions with regards to this.
Nautilus International director of organising Martyn Gray said: 'Members have shown enormous resilience throughout this industrial action, which has ensured that their concerns are now being addressed at the highest levels. The Union will press the new government to resolve the dispute and provide a clear pathway forward for the RFA and our members.'
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