The issue of “poverty wages” being paid to seafarers working in UK waters has been raised in Parliament by Dover’s MP.

Maritime Union the RMT has called for the Government to amend the Employment Bill being debated in the Commons to prevent foreign workers on foreign vessels being paid well below the UK minimum wage.

A loophole in the minimum wage law means foreign seafarers only receive the minimum wage when they are working in UK internal waters. This only covers vessels in ports or in estuary waters.

MP Gwyn Prosser backed the RMT’s campaign by raising the issue in Tuesday’s transport questions in the House of Commons.

He did so after the RMT published fresh evidence accusing Cypriot, Indian, Italian and Maltese-flagged vessels of paying workers too little when working between UK ports or in the UK offshore sector.

One Indian-flagged vessel is said to be paying as low as £1.63 an hour and Mr Prosser and the union are calling for the Government to stop dragging its feet.

Mr Prosser said: “I have had four meetings with ministers in three departments and my frustration is they each say this is very complex and they must speak to other departments.

“This excuse is wearing thin and I raised this issue directly in Parliament to shame ministers into getting their act together.

“If nothing is done then my amendments will come to floor of house and these ministers may be forced into making changes they do not want to make.”

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: “Gwyn Prosser has done a huge service by raising the shame of poverty wages being paid to seafarers."

Hear Gwyn Prosser talk to kmfm’s Chris Price about “worker exploitation” by clicking on the audio link at the top of the page.