LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, February 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) seafarers will take strike action on March 5th and 6th in a dispute over pay, transparency and compliance with minimum wage legislation.
Strike action will take place from 00:01 hours on Thursday 5 March 2026 until 23:59 hours on Friday 6 March 2026.
If the ship is in port, members are instructed not to book on for any duty commencing during that period.
During the strike, members will ensure that the safety of the ship is maintained at all times, including moorings and gangways.
The action follows a strong ballot result in which members voted by nine to one to reject the latest pay offer and back industrial action.
RFA members met after the ballot result and agreed there was a clear aspiration to use the mandate immediately to send a strong message to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the Ministry of Defence that this situation must be taken seriously.
RMT has welcomed the overwhelming vote for strike action after management failed to make a decent pay offer or show it was complying with minimum wage legislation.
Seafarers can routinely work up to 12 hours a day but their remains no clear or transparent formula setting out how pay is calculated against those hours.
RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said: “RFA members want a decent pay offer and for the employer to show it is complying with all minimum wage legislation.
“Our members, who are the most highly trained seafarers, perform incredibly difficult tasks in often dangerous circumstances, supporting their colleagues in the Royal Navy, whilst spending months at a time away from their families.
“Years of real terms pay cuts have left dedicated RFA seafarers worse off, demoralised and this latest offer falls well short of expectations, and significantly below comparable employers within the sector.
“The Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the Ministry of Defence must now get around the table with us to address our members’ immediate concerns and tackle the crewing crisis.
“That means a clear long-term commitment on pay and conditions, including National Minimum Wage compliance, if they are serious about retention and want to maintain credibility.
“This dispute can be resolved, but only if there is a commitment from those with decision making powers to take these matters seriously.”
END
John Millington, Press Officer
RMT
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