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      Nautilus adopts campaigns priorities at UK Branch Conference

      15 December 2022

      Image:Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson and UK Branch Committee chair Iain MacKenzie leading the official Union business meeting on 23 November 2022 at the 2022 Nautilus International UK Branch Conference. All images: Brad Wakefield
      Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson and UK Branch Committee chair Iain MacKenzie leading the official Union business meeting on 23 November 2022 at the 2022 Nautilus International UK Branch Conference. All images: Brad Wakefield

      As the Nautilus UK Branch Conference got down to business in November 2022, members voted unanimously in favour of the motions on 'fair ferries', an end to the Offshore Wind Workers Concession, and to defend the right to strike. Sarah Robinson reports

      Most readers will be familiar with the concept of an AGM (annual general meeting) – a legal requirement for organisations to convene a meeting annually to report to members or shareholders on their activities and give opportunities for questions and votes.

      In the case of the Nautilus International UK Branch Conference, the requirement is for an official meeting held every two years, but the business of the event is along the same lines as an AGM.

      In 2020, the Covid pandemic meant that the UK branch conference had to be held in a stripped-back format online, but November 2022 saw members returning to a well-attended in-person event, held at the SS Great Britain museum in Bristol.

      The main conference day was 23 November, with the 'business' meeting in the morning and a symposium in the afternoon. The morning session was quorate – meaning enough full members of Nautilus were in attendance to satisfy legal requirements – and the main business was split into two parts: the UK Branch Conference Report and the motions.

      Leading the business from the podium was Iain MacKenzie, the chair of the Nautilus UK Branch Committee, which is the governing body for the Union's work in the UK and is made up of elected Nautilus Council members. Alongside was Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson.

      UK Branch Conference Report

      As at a company AGM, the Nautilus secretariat (staff) and governing body have to report to members on the Union's activities carried out on their behalf. The 2022 UK Branch Conference Report details Nautilus's work in the UK since 2020, and is available for all members to read by logging into the My Nautilus section of this website.

      If you are thinking that this report sounds like it would be very dry, think again! Highlights include the impressive amount of recent UK legislation that Nautilus has been able to influence for the better, and the full story of how the Union battled with P&O Ferries for two years to solve the looming problems at the company before new CEO Peter Hebblethwaite threw all this effort away at a stroke in March 2022.

      At the conference, the various sections of the report were introduced in short presentations by department leaders, and a snapshot of what they said is in the photo panels. After the presentations, the Nautilus members voted unanimously in favour of adopting the report.

      Image:Nautilus executive officer Martyn Gray on Governance and representation: 'Our work with Maritime UK keeps people at the heart of maritime policy in industry.'
      Nautilus executive officer Martyn Gray on Governance and representation: 'Our work with Maritime UK keeps people at the heart of maritime policy in industry.'
      Image:Nautilus director of communications, campaigns and digital Helen Kelly on Campaigns and communications: 'We realised very quickly during the pandemic that we had to find new ways to communicate and help members tell their own stories.'
      Nautilus director of communications, campaigns and digital Helen Kelly on Campaigns and communications: 'We realised very quickly during the pandemic that we had to find new ways to communicate and help members tell their own stories.'
      Image:Nautilus head of organising Garry Elliott on Organising: 'College recruitment visits have restarted and we're looking to expand our activity there.'
      Nautilus head of organising Garry Elliott on Organising: 'College recruitment visits have restarted and we're looking to expand our activity there.'
      Image:Nautilus head of industrial Micky Smyth on Industrial: 'I worked for P&O Ferries for 27 years, and it used to be one of the best companies in Europe to work for, but recently it's all been about attacking members' pay and conditions.'
      Nautilus head of industrial Micky Smyth on Industrial: 'I worked for P&O Ferries for 27 years, and it used to be one of the best companies in Europe to work for, but recently it's all been about attacking members' pay and conditions.'
      Image:Nautilus head of recruitment and membership Derek Byrne on Membership: 'Our meeting of lay reps at this conference has been very useful in finding out what they want from their Union training.'
      Nautilus head of recruitment and membership Derek Byrne on Membership: 'Our meeting of lay reps at this conference has been very useful in finding out what they want from their Union training.'
      Image:Nautilus head of professional and technical David Appleton on Professional and technical: 'We're moving beyond the pandemic with an overhaul of UK training, looking at the role of the MCA and MNTB, and reviewing the sea time experience.'
      Nautilus head of professional and technical David Appleton on Professional and technical: 'We're moving beyond the pandemic with an overhaul of UK training, looking at the role of the MCA and MNTB, and reviewing the sea time experience.'
      Image:Nautilus director of legal services Charles Boyle on Legal: 'We're working with the TUC to get behaviour like P&O Ferries criminalised in future.'
      Nautilus director of legal services Charles Boyle on Legal: 'We're working with the TUC to get behaviour like P&O Ferries criminalised in future.'
      Image:Nautilus director of welfare and care Andrew Jones on Welfare: 'The pandemic was very hard on the health and wellbeing of the Mariners’ Park team, and we’re working to support them still.'
      Nautilus director of welfare and care Andrew Jones on Welfare: 'The pandemic was very hard on the health and wellbeing of the Mariners’ Park team, and we’re working to support them still.'
      Image:Nautilus member Iain MacKenzie proposing the motion Fair ferries in UK waters: 'This motion seeks to explain work already done by Nautilus and support future efforts in defending members’ rights.'
      Nautilus member Iain MacKenzie proposing the motion Fair ferries in UK waters: 'This motion seeks to explain work already done by Nautilus and support future efforts in defending members’ rights.'

      Motions

      Motions are proposals for policies that members want to be adopted by their Union. A motion needs a 'proposer' and a 'seconder', and if a majority of members at a quorate meeting vote in favour, then it becomes a 'resolution', i.e. official Union policy.

      The three motions at the UK Branch Conference were:

      1. Fair ferries in UK waters – proposed by Iain MacKenzie and seconded by Stephen Gudgeon
      2. Defend the right to strike – proposed by Malcolm Graves and seconded by Alexander Day
      3. An end to the Offshore Wind Workers Concession – proposed by Catherine Casement and seconded by Willie Jackson

      A snapshot of what the proposers and seconders said is given in the photo panels, and Nautilus members can read the full text of the motions by logging into the My Nautilus section of www.nautilusint.org. Members at the conference voted unanimously in favour of the motions, which have therefore now become policy for the Nautilus UK Branch.

      Image:Nautilus member Stephen Gudgeon seconding the motion Fair ferries in UK waters: 'We want Nautilus to push to improve work for thousands of exploited seafarers. No company should be allowed to “price in” unlawful activity.’
      Nautilus member Stephen Gudgeon seconding the motion Fair ferries in UK waters: 'We want Nautilus to push to improve work for thousands of exploited seafarers. No company should be allowed to “price in” unlawful activity.’
      Image:Nautilus member Jessica Tyson speaking in support of the motion Fair ferries in UK waters: 'P&O Ferries is in danger of fading from public view – we must stop this happening.'
      Nautilus member Jessica Tyson speaking in support of the motion Fair ferries in UK waters: 'P&O Ferries is in danger of fading from public view – we must stop this happening.'
      Image:Nautilus member Malcolm Graves proposing the motion Defend the right to strike: 'The right to strike is a human right which is under attack from the UK government – for example through the Minimum Service Levels Bill.'
      Nautilus member Malcolm Graves proposing the motion Defend the right to strike: 'The right to strike is a human right which is under attack from the UK government – for example through the Minimum Service Levels Bill.'
      Image:Nautilus member Alexander Day seconding the motion Defend the right to strike: 'It’s hard to see how transport workers could have a minimum service level agreement without impacting on our right to strike.'
      Nautilus member Alexander Day seconding the motion Defend the right to strike: 'It’s hard to see how transport workers could have a minimum service level agreement without impacting on our right to strike.'
      Image:Nautilus member Catherine Caseman proposing the motion An end to the Offshore Wind Workers Concession: 'This visa waiver is detrimental to UK workers and undercuts the government’s own strategy and objectives. We must stop the extensions and end this now.'
      Nautilus member Catherine Caseman proposing the motion An end to the Offshore Wind Workers Concession: 'This visa waiver is detrimental to UK workers and undercuts the government’s own strategy and objectives. We must stop the extensions and end this now.'
      Image:Nautilus member Willie Jackson seconding the motion An end to the Offshore Wind Workers Concession: 'Because of this concession, British seafarers are actually losing jobs right now on British infrastructure projects.'
      Nautilus member Willie Jackson seconding the motion An end to the Offshore Wind Workers Concession: 'Because of this concession, British seafarers are actually losing jobs right now on British infrastructure projects.'
      Listen to Nautilus international organiser Danny McGowan and International Transport Workers' Federation strategic researcher Michal Rozworksi in a podcast specially recorded at the Nautilus UK Branch Conference 2022 on what a just transition for maritime would look like for green shipping

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