SEAFARERS who operate ferries to and from the Isle of Wight are balloting on industrial action.

Mariners’ union RMT will ballot the 400 ferry workers on strike action and action short of a strike, over a dispute with ferry firm Wightlink over pensions and terms and conditions.

RMT says that the firm wants to shut down the workers’ pension scheme and reintroduce the flexible working practices that employees were subject to in the first six months of the pandemic.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash branded the proposals “a kick in the teeth for loyal and hard-working staff.”

“It is a particularly bitter blow in light of the fact that employees loaned 20 per cent of their salary and gave up terms and conditions for six months to allow the company to keep trading at the height of the pandemic,” he said.

“Disgracefully, Wightlink has managed to find the funds to pay huge dividends to the various private equity owners that have been feeding off our members’ work for the last five years.”