LIVERPOOL seafarers are set to demonstrate in the city on Monday over low pay, exploitation of overseas mariners on poverty wages and operators’ failure to recruit workers from Britain and Ireland.

Maritime union RMT is running an “SOS 2020” campaign committed to ending the scandal of seafarer exploitation.

Among the union’s targets are ferry companies P&O and Seatruck Ferries.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “It is shameful that shipping companies like P&O choose a business model that replaces long-standing seafarers with ‘low-cost’ workers.

“With this attitude from a major shipping company it is no surprise that of 101,000 ratings and officers that make our shipping industry tick, under 20 per cent of these jobs are held by British seafarers, most of whom will retire in the next decade.”

Protests will take place at 1.30pm at Gladstone Dock in Bootle, and at 4pm at Brocklebank Dock, Port of Liverpool.