Royal Navy: Dockyard workers hit with redundancy consultations as MoD and Serco contract row continues

The News understands that employees at Serco Maritime are having discussions over changing work patterns, with the fear of job losses being very real. Members of the Prospect Union working in Portsmouth Harbour, Devonport in Plymouth and Faslane in Scotland, voted to strike earlier this month as they’re concerned about not being involved in key discussions surrounding the work contract.

Serco Maritime and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) are holding negotiations over a contract which covers towage activities, bunkering and watering, tank cleaning, passenger services, trials work, munitions and nuclear safety activities for the Royal Navy. These are all key infrastructure tasks which allows the force to operate at full capacity. The government is reportedly looking for a £250m reduction.

The government and Serco are currently negotiating a contract on reduced terms, with the worry that 50 jobs could be at risk. The union sees the Royal Navy being hit with major disruption during walkouts, which would affect warships across the sites and submarines in Clyde, Scotland.

Senior Deputy General Secretary of Prospect, Sue Ferns, previously said: “Our members don’t want to take industrial action but we need to be engaged on the new contract or there is a real danger that our fleet will not get the support it needs to function properly.

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“We are working with members to agree next steps, dates and the form of industrial action.” The News understands morale is high among union members, who are determined to see the service they provide not be destroyed.

When asked for updates about the contract and negotiations with employees, a Serco Maritime spokesperson said: “Our priority remains to provide vital services to the Royal Navy, and we are working in partnership with the MoD on the proposals for this contract to ensure the best outcome."

A Royal Navy spokesperson said: “This is a matter between the contractor and their workforce. We are working closely with those involved to ensure there is no disruption to services and we stand by to assist in the resolution process where appropriate.”