RED Funnel workers, members of Unite, have begun strikes today (Wednesday, July 27) over ‘poverty’ pay - with cancellations announced to this evening's services.

See video below

Union members have gathered on Well Road as well as the Red Funnel car park entrance in East Cowes.

Unite say that workers are paid up to £4 per hour less than other ferry counterparts.

Customer services advisers and catering assistants on Wightlink earn £13.42 an hour, with the equivalent roles on Red Funnel at £9.50.

Red Funnel says it is continuing to engage with Unite in an effort to resolve the dispute as soon as possible.

​Isle of Wight County Press:

When are the strikes happening?

The 24-hour strike action started this morning, with further strikes on:

  • Monday, August 1
  • Wednesday, August 3
  • Friday, August 5
  • Tuesday, August 9
  • Thursday, August 11
  • Monday, August 15
  • Wednesday, August 17
  • Friday, August 19
  • Tuesday, August 23
  • Friday, August 26
  • Monday, August 29

The strikes will impact Cowes Week, which runs from 30 July to 6 August, as well as the summer holidays.

There will be picket lines every morning of the strike apart from on the bank holiday (August 29), when it will be in the afternoon.

Isle of Wight County Press: Joe (right), a catering service assistant, is paid £9.09 an hour, with Wightlink staff paid a lot more for the same role.Joe (right), a catering service assistant, is paid £9.09 an hour, with Wightlink staff paid a lot more for the same role.

Fran Collins, chief executive at Red Funnel, said: “It is with regret that, due to strike action, it has been necessary to make further amends to our vehicle ferry timetable today.

“In addition to planned strike action today, we have experienced a higher-than-normal number of colleague absences.

"We will be consolidating two round trips this evening into one new sailing at 9pm.

"We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused and will keep customers updated on our social media channels and the Red Funnel service status page.”

Affected sailings:

Southampton – East Cowes at 7.30pm

Southampton – East Cowes at 10.30pm

New sailing:

Southampton – East Cowes at 9pm

East Cowes – Southampton at 10.30pm

Cllr Cameron Palin, East Cowes town councillor and vice-chair of the Isle of Wight Green Party, said: "As a country we are facing a major cost of living crisis, which in real terms is causing peoples pay to rapidly decrease. 

"It is now becoming near on impossible to live on minimum wage which in reality is poverty pay, causing many to now rely on food banks and the food pantry.

"Red Funnel is a company that can afford to pay a decent wage to ALL employees but as you know is simply refusing to do so.

"This is a complete failure and shows this corporation do not care about its employees nor does it about the wider Island.

"I am so disappointed to see the Conservative MP for the Island Bob Seely lobbying government to stop these strikes taking place!

"I applaud all the workers for standing up together and joining this picket line and rejecting the pathetic pay offer of 4.5 and 6.5 per cent for the lowest paid staff.

"This is quite clearly well below the real cost of living."