ROV Union

Given the cost of joining a uni0n and balancing that with the potential gain it may well be a worthwhile suggestion.

With ROV and Diving crews often working on the same jobs this would create a stronger footing for the uni0n to negotiate from.

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why would I want to join the RMT, just because divers got a big payrise?

I see no problem in the suggestion even if it were based on the recent pay rise the divers succeeded in securing.

However, hereby lies a problem… we have had but a couple of posts on the subject and already we have a split opinion on not whether we should join a uni0n in the first instance but on what uni0n to join.

We work on ships or rigs, spend a lot of time at sea and operate equipment that works (most of the time) under the sea. I would think that a Maritime Uni0n would be more suited to ROV crew needs than an engineering uni0n.

Many divers are not employed by companies, that doesn’t stop them from
a) becoming a uni0n member
and
b) benefiting from being a member.
I feel that the same would apply to ROV personnel in the same uni0n.

The RMT have been successful in their recent endeavours (supported in no small way by the resilience of the divers & LST’s involved) during the recent strike.
IMHO the strike came about because of the inability of the companies to realise how serious the divers were, to the point where it probably cost them dearly as a result.

Add the ROV crews to the same uni0n that the divers are members of and the companies will have a more cohesive force to deal with.

If the ROV guys join a different uni0n that advantage will be lost forever.

An engineering uni0n may well seem to be more suited to the type of profession we work in but a Marine uni0n, such as the RMT, may well be able to produce better results (aka improvement in rates and conditions) for us purely because of the fact that the bulk of their membership already makes up a large proportion of the people that we currently work with. Another point is that the RMT is already up to speed on dealing with the AODC. I’m not too sure how well Amicus would fare.

I guess this is what debate is all about.

In the meantime I will add a poll to the site on what type of uni0n might better serve ROV member needs.

best regards
James Mc

As part of the package they used to offer priority medical treatment/operations at the St. Thomas hospital in London.. is that still the case?

Hi,

It’s great to see that ROV personnel are starting to get organised and that there is a healthy debate about the benefits of joining a uni0n and indeed which uni0n to join.

One of our members (an ROV who has 20 years membership in the RMT uni0n) suggested that I give some information on this web site as well as the forum ‘oilbeefhooked.co.uk’ as interest is at an all time high.

As you know, RMT members (Diving & Support) secured an impressive pay rise plus benefits to their conditions which has inspired many an offshore/subsea worker. Not everyone would have their type of claim but everyone stands to gain by getting properly organised.

RMT’s ambition is not merely to organise for the short term to win a pay rise but to organise for the long term. To help ensure all subsea workers build their collective strength and use it to further their needs and aspirations.

That’s why the recent agreement provides for two RMT reps on every ship who will protect and represent ALL GRADES. So, already, within the seven signatories ROVers can directly benefit from RMT membership & organisation. Some, I have no doubt, will be elected RMT uni0n reps on their ship.

UNITY IS STRENGTH is a good old slogan but it also works in practice. RMT is an ‘industrial uni0n’. A uni0n that treats all our members with the same sense of importance. We are different to most uni0ns in so much as we absolutely insist on rank and file control of the uni0n. Our democracy is of paramount importance and it’s not our officials who call the shots but our members. In fact, we are the only UK based uni0n where our officilas are up for re-election every five years.

This is just an initial message to help clear up a few matters. For example, it has previously been suggested in the forum that the RMT has no base in Aberdeen. This is wrong. We have had an office near the harbour for over one hundred years and the current address is 3 Commerce Street, Aberdeen (if it’s windy – you could spit from our office and reach the harbour!!).

Unlike AMICUS (a merger between Engineering, Finance and Manufacuring unions) we are NOT a general union. We prefer to have a growing membership where we can focus on the industrial strategies required to improve pay and conditions.

You also may be interested to note that both AMICUS and the T&GWU are scheduled to merge on 1st May to create a massive general uni0n. The third large general uni0n, GMB, has decided to slow things down but may join the merger at a later date.

Unlike most uni0ns who are suffering from decline RMT’s membership has grown from 58,000 to 75,000 in five years.

One reason for that may well be that we are clearly not a ‘partnership uni0n’ where it’s believed that the best result for the members comes about from being nice to the employer. If the uni0n is nice to the employer then they’ll be nice to you! Oh yeh?

Fact is, we believe in building our uni0n through our members and their elected ‘shop stewards’. If the members decide ‘enough is enough’ then the uni0n is there to help, support and provide leadership. We prefer to avoid confrontation and reach agreed settlements. Most of our achievements are done this way. But, we cannot guarantee an employer will be reasonable and listen to well constructed arguments.

WINNING UNI0N RECOGNITION
Regards winning recognition with employers. The UK leglislation states that membership should be 50% plus one to prove sufficient support (there are also other ways). The uni0n has the right to state what the appropriate Bargaining Unit should be – as it’s our claim. So it may be appropriate to focus on one distinct group (such as ROV personnel) in the first instance. These type of decisions would have to be made after much deliberation and could differ from company to company.

Hope this helps. You can find out more about RMT on our website http://www.rmt.org.uk and you can email us direct as follows:
s.herschel@rmt.org.uk
a.pottage@rmt.org.uk
j.milligan@rmt.org.uk

We are building an email list of all subsea members and we hope to arrange many ‘on-board’ visits where possible. Aberdeen is our main focal point but we can make advance arrangements to suit out members.

…all the best,

Alan Pottage
RMT National Organising Co-ordinator
Maritime House
London

The Last 2 vessels I have been on have had over half there ROV team signed up with the RMT, have yet to meet anyone involved with other unions other than the RMT. The momentum is building and they are now actively recruiting and looking to support us so get signed up.

I would agree this is building on what the divers have got but why not see what they can do for us.

It has nothing to do with not getting on with divers it is to do with what they have done for the divers.

I say join up, give them a try and see what they can do for us this year.

Further to my last post… I have just re-joined the RMT.

I say rejoined… because I allowed my membership to lapse years ago when I moved to Asia and was no longer working in the UK sector nor with RMT members on vessels.

best regards
James Mc

The days of unions are long gone!

Of course they are…. and on that basis it must have been a bunch of muppets from Fantasy Island that negotiated on behalf of the divers last year, or was it just individual ‘Jack the lad’ Divers ringing up and trying to sort things out?

Talk about being locked in past…. Muppets? Fantasy Island?
We’ve moved on a bit from those days.

BTW. Thanks for adding your constructive comments to the debate.