Nautilus International has announced a further three days of strike action by its members at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, from 20-22 September. The last day of action will coincide with the beginning of the Labour Party conference.

Nautilus International reported on this.

This is a continuation of the Royal Auxiliary Fleet’s first-ever strike series that began on June 1, 2024.

The action comes as RFA employees have experienced a real-term pay cut of over 30% since 2010, with a 4.5% pay rise of 2022/23 imposed in November 2023, which is below the inflation rate.

This pay offer was resolutely rejected by members.

“Since Labour have come to power, they have ended several ongoing public sector disputes, except for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary,” Nautilus International director of organizing Martyn Gray said.

“Despite discussions with the Ministry of Defence, frustratingly, we have not received a new and improved pay offer,” he said.

“If the government is not willing to listen to the gravely felt frustration and anger of RFA employees, we are left with no other option but to escalate our action. This will cause significant disruption to the service and to the Royal Navy, which is reliant on the support from the RFA,” Nautilus International director said.

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is an auxiliary naval fleet belonging to the UK Ministry of Defense. It is part of His Majesty’s Naval Service and provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.

The RFA provides supplies and support to the Royal Navy. It replenishes fuel and supplies at sea, transports the Royal Marines and British Army personnel, provides medical care, and transports equipment and essential supplies around the world.

RFA personnel are civilian employees of the Ministry of Defense and members of the Royal Naval Reserve and the Sponsored Reserve.

In August 2023, employees of the Defence Munitions Beith defense facility, which stored Storm Shadow and Brimstone missiles, went on strike. This happened during preparations for the transfer of a batch of Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine.