Nautilus new Fair Treatment App is a 'friend in your pocket' wherever you are

Nautilus International celebrated International Day of the Seafarer with the launch of a new Nautilus Fair Treatment App, which provides members with instant access to Union advice and support following an incident at sea.

The development of the Fair Treatment App follows a survey of Nautilus members undertaken in 2019 which revealed that 90% 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 Nautilus Fair Treatment App adds to essential onboard kit by providing members with instant offline access to guidelines on their rights in the event of an incident at sea, and contacts for Union and legal support. Crucially, the App provides an incident reporting form for recording personal notes on incidents as they happen, which can be sent directly to the Union.

The 2019 survey also revealed that one of the difficulties members' experience when an accident happens is that events move quickly and there is very little time to gather thoughts together. Being able to make an immediate note of the circumstance around the issue can aid recollection and help to bring investigations to a swift resolution.

Mark Dickinson, general secretary of Nautilus International, said: 'The Covid-19 pandemic has shown that, in some parts of the world, authorities continue point the finger of blame at seafarers for circumstances way beyond their control.

'We are very proud of our App, which will serve as a 'friend in the pocket' of our members, providing crucial support and 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.'

The Nautilus Fair Treatment App report function allows members to type notes on the incident, save images and even voice recording using the phone's microphone. All data can be stored offline on the phone for personal use.

If the issue progresses members can also provide more information including their membership number, ship and employer and send this report directly to the Union when the phone has internet access.

Members can access other support services via the App such as the Nautilus 24/7 helpline, the worldwide network of lawyers and the Nautilus Federation JASON scheme.

Members can download the Fair Treatment App, available for android or apple phones, from the members section of the website.