A “PIONEERING trans-boundary seafarers’ union” was launched on Friday. Nautilus International, based in the UK and
the Netherlands, now represents more than 24,000 shipmasters, officers, ratings and a wide range of other personnel
working in the shipping sector, at sea, on inland waterways, and ashore.
The creation of the new union follows many years of increasingly closer cooperation between Nautilus NL and Nautilus UK (formerly NUMAST), including joint industrial negotiations with companies employing British and Dutch members, and a united approach at European and international level on issues such as safety, training and piracy.
The first general secretary of Nautilus International is Mark Dickinson, who told members attending the Union’s conference that he is ‘immensely proud’ to be leading the new organization. ‘We embarked on the course of unity out of a sincere and shared desire to build a better future for our members,’ he said, ‘and I am convinced that we will deliver that. For Nautilus UK and Nautilus NL, the move towards unity has been about maintaining our identity as unions representing maritime professionals rather than being swallowed at some point in the future by big general
unions.’
Mr Dickinson said the cross-border union was a reflection of the increasingly international shipping industry. ‘Together,
we are not just stronger, but also better equipped to represent our members in an industry that not only invented
globalisation but demonstrates its very essence.’
Assistant general secretary Marcel van den Broek added: ‘Our two countries have many common bonds, and the new
union has been born from our shared experiences, and our belief that we can make a real difference by sharing our
future.’ Source :Maritime Global Net