Employees locked out by Lloyd's Register during protest over pay and conditions

Nautilus members and Lloyd's Register employees from the Netherlands were refused entry to Lloyd's Register's head office in London to deliver a petition on behalf of staff.

Staff members had travelled from Rotterdam to London to present the petition signed by 90 employees to chief executive Nick Brown. Workers are asking for a pay rise reflective of the high rate of inflation and union recognition.

The employees arrived at the pre-agreed meeting to find gates locked and a security guard in place blocking the entrance. 

'We are locked out, but we won't give up,' Nautilus International executive officer Charley Ramdas said.

'They don’t want to talk to us despite more than half of staff in the Netherlands signing the petition. Together we stand strong.'

Lloyd's Register has consistently refused to recognise Nautilus International as the union representing staff for negotiations on pay and conditions of employees in the Netherlands, and instead has announced a reorganisation that will replace good jobs for bad jobs by hiring people from cheap labour countries.

Nautilus urged the company to talk to their employees, 'don't ignore them, don't neglect them'.

More than 80% of the Lloyd's Register Dutch workforce has indicated that they want Nautilus International to negotiate a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for them.

Nautilus members were joined by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the national organisation of British trade unions and voice of British workers.