Nautilus International launches mobile app to support fair treatment of seafarers

Maritime professionals' union, Nautilus International, has launched a new mobile 'app' to provide its members with instant access to Union advice and support following an incident at sea.

The development of the app follows research from the Nautilus Federation, which revealed that 90% of seafarers are concerned about the prospect of criminalisation at work and two thirds said it has an impact on the way they feel about working in shipping.

The launch of the new Fair Treatment App, to mark International Day of the Seafarer (25 June), reinforces the Union's commitment to ensuring seafarers receive fair treatment at work and that the recruitment and retention of workers in the industry is not affected by the risk of criminalisation.

The app – which was first shared with members for testing at the General Meeting in October last year – has on and offline functions to support seafarers all over the world, regardless of their location and access to the internet.

Nautilus members will also be able to use the app to create an incident report and collate information about any events that occur whilst they are at work and out at sea. Through the app, Union members will also have access to advice on what they should do in case of emergency as well as contact details for local legal support if required.

The Union's wider support network includes a 24/7 helpline, a worldwide network of lawyers and the JASON advice and assistance scheme (Nautilus Federation's Joint Assistance & Support Network), run in partnership with Nautilus Federation unions.

Mark Dickinson, general secretary of Nautilus International, said: 'The maritime industry is truly unique, with seafarers facing challenges that the vast majority of workers in other industries do not have to consider.

'We are very proud of our app, which will serve as a friend in the pocket of seafarers, providing crucial support to our members, giving them instant access to advice following an incident at sea, as well as a means to contact the Union directly by completing an incident report.

'The development of the app and our wider fair treatment campaign came as a direct result of feedback from our members and having listened to seafarers throughout this process, we are confident that they can now feel more secure and less isolated whilst working at sea. Wherever you are, so are we.'

To download the Union's Fair Treatment App, available for android or apple phones, Nautilus members should log in to My Nautilus.

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