DFDS denies 'poverty pay' on ro-ro

Denmark's DFDS has rubbished claims it is paying crew at 'poverty' levels on one of its ro-paxes.

The RMT union had staged a demonstration against what it said was a rate of £1.64 ($2.04) per hour for seafarers on the 11,500-gt Finlandia Seaways (built 2000), which operates between Scotland and Belgium.

It said Lithuanian crew were being exploited, The National daily reported.

But DFDS said the claim was “simply not true” and staff banked between £1,259 and £5,662 per month.

Gert Jakobsen, vice-president of communications for DFDS, said: “There is absolutely and categorically no single rank on board the Finlandia Seaways being paid £1.64 per hour."

“The rates of pay for this crew have been grossly under-exaggerated by the RMT."

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “Our figures are based on the most recent information regarding basic rates of pay for the Lithuanian ratings and officers on the Finlandia Seaways. We received that information in 2014 and have not since received any update.”