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The Prosser Perspective.... a weekly column from Dover and Deal MP Gwyn Prosser

30 October 2008

My last couple of weeks have had a distinctive maritime theme, and I'm not just referring to our hugely successful Maritime Skills Festival held at the Cruise Terminal.

I don't have to convince anyone in this part of the world what a debt of gratitude we owe to the people who crew our lifeboats.

The RNLI is still wholly funded by public subscription and manned by volunteers and they are all happy with that but what they are not happy about is the prospect of having their charges for ship-to-shore VHF radio calls increased by more than six fold. I’m not happy either and that’s why I’ve raised the matter in the media and put my name to a parliamentary motion calling for a 100% discount on all their radio charges.

Last week, at a meeting of the Parliamentary RMT Group we discussed the proposed job losses at P&O and members shared the view put forward by me and Dover’s local convener, Malcolm Dunning that the cut- backs could have an impact on safety. We also made progress on our campaign to stop ship owners undercutting British crews by employing cheap foreign labour below the national minimum wage.

I confronted the Minister about this scandal in the Chamber and I’ve just tabled an amendment to the Employment Bill in an attempt to stop this exploitation.

On Monday I Chaired the Home Affairs Select Committee and we took further evidence in our inquiry into Human Trafficking. Slavery was banned 200 years ago but thousands of people, including children and babies are still being shipped into the UK and other countries to be exploited as bonded labour or for the sex industry. The Committee will make recommendations to the Government for reforms but this is a world wide problem and we can’t solve it on our own.

At the end of last week I attended the quarterly meeting of Dover Pride. We heard about the progress being made towards realising the town’s ambitious regeneration plans and afterwards visited the new Sea Sports Centre on the seafront. The upper story houses the bar come bistro and includes a wide sweeping balcony which will enjoy spectacular views of the new marina and the Channel and it’s going to be open to the public in the spring.

At the beginning of the week I joined the big rally on the promenade organised by port workers who DHB want to get rid of, and afterwards I met with the Chief Executive. Nothing he said changed my view that this loyal workforce is being betrayed.

And this week I took part in another rally, this time in Westminster where my union, GMB are campaigning to get compensation for workers suffering from plural plaques and other asbestos related conditions. In past years all sorts of workers were exposed to asbestos fibres but seafarers and engine room personnel in particular were at high risk. I’ve lost good friends and ship mates to these ticking bomb diseases and I want to see the victims get the justice they are entitled to.