Investigation launched into documentary claims over cruise ship working conditions (From Daily Echo)

Why all this talk about 'british minimum wage' when the ship is not british registered and big shock, the staff do not work in britain so the they do not have to abide by british wages rules or Euro working time regulations and the staff are not being forced to work.

2.24 an hour....tax free...plus food and accommodation. Not that bad. Yes you have to work very hard and no/little time off, but it can't be that bad given the staff retention rate.

The off-shore recruitment agencies should be investigated though to avoid people being charged high fees for the privilege of working 14 hours a day.

Thatsa good point about the free bed and board.
Maybe they could pay min (british) wage then charge the staff for bed and board based on Southampton prices as as afterall the Echo also keep making a point of the ship being Southampton based, would that make everyone happy?
£6.50 and hour (minus tax and Nat ins) max 45 hours a week, £500 a month for the room and food at retail.

Why should Celebrity Cruises need to investigate. If anyone should know how much their staff are being paid, it is them.

This is just one step away from Slave Labour.

This has been going on for so many years I am surprised it is news to anyone.....

I think I was over 20 years ago I first went on the Pride of Bilbao and wondered why all the staff were from the Philipinnes.

I am ashamed to admit the answer was obvious, but I did not care as long
as the ticke and booze was cheap and the service good!

Plus la change!

Linesman Off couse they know, they use a British Agency to get the ship its crew and set down the pay to pay them.
Research what happened to 6 East Indians when they ask for a wage increase, they was drop of at the next port, and rearch the Social Dumping that Condor Ferries are commiting and this is from a Uk port to the Channel Islands.

southy wrote:
Linesman Off couse they know, they use a British Agency to get the ship its crew and set down the pay to pay them.
Research what happened to 6 East Indians when they ask for a wage increase, they was drop of at the next port, and rearch the Social Dumping that Condor Ferries are commiting and this is from a Uk port to the Channel Islands.

The usual 'research it for yourself' which will prove pointless as the incident is very doubtful. Why not just provide a link so that this 'incident' can be read easily and for once you may be believed. It would be interesting to know more about the actions of this Roman Catholic group of troublemakers from Maharashtra.

I just wonder when you take mortgage, or rent costs, along with gas and electric bills, food shopping, and all the other costs that come with having a home,,, whether they would be better off than most other working recieving minimum wage and above...
I the past few years, despite working long 13 hour shifts, on a salary way above the minimum pay, by the time I have paid all my housing costs, rent, council and water taxes, utilities, tv licence, and food shopping... I very much doubt I would have as much as £1.50 per worked hour free...
They get all the general living expences, covered for them, and working off shore, are not subject to Income tax and National insurance... Therefore I think they need little to spend what money they get on, other perhaps some fags, which would all be a dutyfree rates....

And to think I thought all your comments supporting the disgraced and deceased James Saville where 'bad'..everything comes to those who deserve it...!!!

dolomiteman wrote:
Why all this talk about 'british minimum wage' when the ship is not british registered and big shock, the staff do not work in britain so the they do not have to abide by british wages rules or Euro working time regulations and the staff are not being forced to work.

Sensationalist rhetoric (the documentary, not your post). Journalists love tricks like that. We hear "lower than minimum wage" and instantly think "God, that's terrible!" These little tricks can be very effective, and journalists know it.

southy wrote:
Linesman Off couse they know, they use a British Agency to get the ship its crew and set down the pay to pay them.
Research what happened to 6 East Indians when they ask for a wage increase, they was drop of at the next port, and rearch the Social Dumping that Condor Ferries are commiting and this is from a Uk port to the Channel Islands.

Sounds terrible.

Can we have a link to the story so we can see for ourselves?

Or am I wasting my time even asking.

southy wrote:
Linesman Off couse they know, they use a British Agency to get the ship its crew and set down the pay to pay them.
Research what happened to 6 East Indians when they ask for a wage increase, they was drop of at the next port, and rearch the Social Dumping that Condor Ferries are commiting and this is from a Uk port to the Channel Islands.

You know what's better than telling people to 'research' something extremely vague? Providing a resource to get them started. Googling "six east Indians wage increase" isn't going to get people far - the top result is this actually this very page - and I'm not sure the library carries books on that specific subject. If you want your story to be credible, provide a source for it. I wouldn't be at all surprised that you're right, but only a hard source will help anyone do this research. We can't all have happened to have read the exact same books as you.

sotonbusdriver wrote:
I just wonder when you take mortgage, or rent costs, along with gas and electric bills, food shopping, and all the other costs that come with having a home,,, whether they would be better off than most other working recieving minimum wage and above...
I the past few years, despite working long 13 hour shifts, on a salary way above the minimum pay, by the time I have paid all my housing costs, rent, council and water taxes, utilities, tv licence, and food shopping... I very much doubt I would have as much as £1.50 per worked hour free...
They get all the general living expences, covered for them, and working off shore, are not subject to Income tax and National insurance... Therefore I think they need little to spend what money they get on, other perhaps some fags, which would all be a dutyfree rates....

Wrong they are subject to Tax and insurance, for the first 6 mths they are subject to the country of there nationality after 6 mths they will be subject to the ship port of register, Food and accomidatioin is takening into account and your Tax ajusted higher than what it would be working ashore.

Don't follows those that are trying to make it look like shipping companys are doing these people a favour, they are not they are using and abusing these people.

Shoong wrote:

southy wrote:
Linesman Off couse they know, they use a British Agency to get the ship its crew and set down the pay to pay them.
Research what happened to 6 East Indians when they ask for a wage increase, they was drop of at the next port, and rearch the Social Dumping that Condor Ferries are commiting and this is from a Uk port to the Channel Islands.

Sounds terrible.

Can we have a link to the story so we can see for ourselves?

Or am I wasting my time even asking.

your Short memory playing you up again. The Echo as reported this them selfs in the last few mths.
Start searching back logs of the Echo and you will come across it, there was a demo out side dock gate 4 a few mths back, there as also been demos at other ports Condor ferrys at Portsmouth, Britiany Ferrys ect ect

There are people in this city that can remember when P & O ran their ships with Laskars from the Indian continent. Few of the main shipping companies are registered in Southampton as they used to be.I don't think the Seamens Pool is in Canute road anymore. The days of the British Seaman seems to be long gone. If the Cruise passengers are happy to be served by foreigners, what has the TV company got to complain about? The days of big ships being owned by British companies has long gone, mostly by aamerican cruise companies.

Georgem wrote:

southy wrote:
Linesman Off couse they know, they use a British Agency to get the ship its crew and set down the pay to pay them.
Research what happened to 6 East Indians when they ask for a wage increase, they was drop of at the next port, and rearch the Social Dumping that Condor Ferries are commiting and this is from a Uk port to the Channel Islands.

You know what's better than telling people to 'research' something extremely vague? Providing a resource to get them started. Googling "six east Indians wage increase" isn't going to get people far - the top result is this actually this very page - and I'm not sure the library carries books on that specific subject. If you want your story to be credible, provide a source for it. I wouldn't be at all surprised that you're right, but only a hard source will help anyone do this research. We can't all have happened to have read the exact same books as you.

The 6 East Indians was reported in the Independant

southy wrote:

Georgem wrote:

southy wrote:
Linesman Off couse they know, they use a British Agency to get the ship its crew and set down the pay to pay them.
Research what happened to 6 East Indians when they ask for a wage increase, they was drop of at the next port, and rearch the Social Dumping that Condor Ferries are commiting and this is from a Uk port to the Channel Islands.

You know what's better than telling people to 'research' something extremely vague? Providing a resource to get them started. Googling "six east Indians wage increase" isn't going to get people far - the top result is this actually this very page - and I'm not sure the library carries books on that specific subject. If you want your story to be credible, provide a source for it. I wouldn't be at all surprised that you're right, but only a hard source will help anyone do this research. We can't all have happened to have read the exact same books as you.

The 6 East Indians was reported in the Independant

Oh well we'll just believe you then.

Shoong wrote:

southy wrote:

Georgem wrote:

southy wrote:
Linesman Off couse they know, they use a British Agency to get the ship its crew and set down the pay to pay them.
Research what happened to 6 East Indians when they ask for a wage increase, they was drop of at the next port, and rearch the Social Dumping that Condor Ferries are commiting and this is from a Uk port to the Channel Islands.

You know what's better than telling people to 'research' something extremely vague? Providing a resource to get them started. Googling "six east Indians wage increase" isn't going to get people far - the top result is this actually this very page - and I'm not sure the library carries books on that specific subject. If you want your story to be credible, provide a source for it. I wouldn't be at all surprised that you're right, but only a hard source will help anyone do this research. We can't all have happened to have read the exact same books as you.

The 6 East Indians was reported in the Independant

Oh well we'll just believe you then.

I heard that each of them was paid minus three billion pounds a day, with the profits going directly to THATCHER.

Georgem wrote:

Shoong wrote:

southy wrote:

Georgem wrote:

southy wrote:
Linesman Off couse they know, they use a British Agency to get the ship its crew and set down the pay to pay them.
Research what happened to 6 East Indians when they ask for a wage increase, they was drop of at the next port, and rearch the Social Dumping that Condor Ferries are commiting and this is from a Uk port to the Channel Islands.

You know what's better than telling people to 'research' something extremely vague? Providing a resource to get them started. Googling "six east Indians wage increase" isn't going to get people far - the top result is this actually this very page - and I'm not sure the library carries books on that specific subject. If you want your story to be credible, provide a source for it. I wouldn't be at all surprised that you're right, but only a hard source will help anyone do this research. We can't all have happened to have read the exact same books as you.

The 6 East Indians was reported in the Independant

Oh well we'll just believe you then.

I heard that each of them was paid minus three billion pounds a day, with the profits going directly to THATCHER.

They ought to get themselves into debt really by joining a Union and paying the subscription fee.

southy wrote:

sotonbusdriver wrote:
I just wonder when you take mortgage, or rent costs, along with gas and electric bills, food shopping, and all the other costs that come with having a home,,, whether they would be better off than most other working recieving minimum wage and above...
I the past few years, despite working long 13 hour shifts, on a salary way above the minimum pay, by the time I have paid all my housing costs, rent, council and water taxes, utilities, tv licence, and food shopping... I very much doubt I would have as much as £1.50 per worked hour free...
They get all the general living expences, covered for them, and working off shore, are not subject to Income tax and National insurance... Therefore I think they need little to spend what money they get on, other perhaps some fags, which would all be a dutyfree rates....

Wrong they are subject to Tax and insurance, for the first 6 mths they are subject to the country of there nationality after 6 mths they will be subject to the ship port of register, Food and accomidatioin is takening into account and your Tax ajusted higher than what it would be working ashore.

Don't follows those that are trying to make it look like shipping companys are doing these people a favour, they are not they are using and abusing these people.

"wrong" for the first 6 months they are subject to their country of nationality, after that they can CLAIM BACK any tax that they have been asked to pay for that financial year and will not have to pay anything else after that. After 6 months they are subject to the ships port of registry but very very few countries require tax to be paid from seamen working on ships registered to them, and as most are registered in tax havens anyway, most people working at sea will not pay any income tax except that which they can claim back. Food and accommodation is not taken into account to "adjust tax", it is taken into the smallest account when being paid, which can be seen by the huge salary differences between ships of the same type operating in different companies and also ships of different purpose operating in different companies. The biggest and really only factor that determines salary between different ships is the purpose of the ship and where it is operating in the world.
I work in the Merchant Navy alongside people of all nationalities, this documentary is such a one sided, biased and un-researched misinterpretation of the facts.

The people I work with work hard, they work long hours, but so do the rest of us. Each one of us knew what we were signing up for. Its not like being ashore when we can just leave the job for the next person to do, or have another person on board to lighten the load. We are the only people there to do the job, so we must get it done, and that isnt just the responsibilities of making sure your customer is served in a restaurant, its making sure the engines keep running, its making sure that the ship is safe, well navigated, well maintained.

Also if you took a look at the "minimum wage" in the individual countries that workers at sea come from, you would notice that they are much better off working on board ship and thats why they make that choice in the first place. When they get home they are far better off than most of the other people in their country. And they are able to look after their families, normally multiple generations of them.