UK Lays Law Guaranteeing Minimum Wage for Cross-Channel Ferry Seafarers
The UK Department for Transport (DfT) has laid new legislation in Parliament in London to strengthen pay and working conditions for seafarers on ferry services across the English Channel between the United Kingdom and France. The statutory instrument was announced on 4 November.
Under the new law, operators on cross-Channel routes must pay seafarers at least the UK national minimum wage for the whole journey, not only while the ship is in UK waters. It also sets minimum rest periods and gives crews guaranteed time off the ship between periods of work.
This is a follow-up to the DfT consultation “Strengthening seafarer protections on UK-France routes”, launched earlier in 2026. The proposals were a response to the 2022 P&O Ferries case, in which about 800 crew were dismissed without notice and replaced with lower-paid agency workers. The new rules build on the Seafarers’ Wages Act 2023, which first linked ferry crew pay to the UK minimum wage while in UK waters.
Maritime Minister Keir Mather said of the crews: “The least they can expect in return is fair pay and proper rest.”
The changes will cover seafarers working on busy routes such as Dover to Calais, whatever their nationality. Once in force, crews on these routes will have a legal right to UK minimum pay for the full voyage, along with protected rest periods, which should help reduce fatigue and make it harder for operators to cut costs through very low wages.
