By Mark Dickinson
17 March marked three years since one of the darkest days in modern British maritime history. Three years since 786 dedicated maritime professionals were escorted off their vessels by security guards wielding handcuffs, having been told via Zoom that their careers with P&O Ferries were over.
No notice. No consultation. No dignity.
I still remember the shock waves that rippled through our maritime community that day. The outrage was palpable, crossing political divides and uniting the nation in condemnation. Yet for all the promises and tough talk from the previous government, precious few tangible protections emerged for seafarers in the following years.
By contrast, in just a matter of months, we have now witnessed the progression of the UK’s Employment Rights Bill (ERB) — legislation that represents a genuinely generational shift in employment rights with significant positive implications for our members and all seafarers.
The ERB closes critical loopholes that P&O Ferries so callously exploited. It strengthens collective dismissal laws, requiring operators of foreign-flagged vessels with operational links to the UK to notify the UK government before dismissing 20 or more employees. It tackles ‘fire and rehire’ practices and doubles the maximum protective award available to employees at employment tribunals — making it harder for unscrupulous employers to simply ‘price in’ the cost of sacking workers.
The Seafarers Wages Act, which came into force last December after being delayed by the 2024 General Election, already requires most operators of a service with more than 120 UK port calls to pay their seafarers at least the equivalent of the UK National Minimum Wage. These are substantial steps forward, and the current government is delivering on its promises.
But our work is not finished. At Nautilus International, we continue to press for further protections to prevent any repeat of the P&O Ferries scandal. We want the directors of P&O Ferries held accountable for breaking the law.
We are also calling for powers that would allow the government and unions to take immediate, pre-emptive legal action against employers contemplating mass dismissals. We want to see sick pay, holiday pay, training and pension rights included in mandatory employment standards for all seafarers. We are advocating for a reduction in the threshold for these regulations to apply — from 120 to 52 UK port calls per year — ensuring that more seafarers benefit from these vital protections.
The maritime sector is the lifeblood of our island nation. The security, resilience and prosperity of the UK depend upon it.
Three years on from that shameful day, I remain as determined as ever to fight for the rights of maritime professionals. The progress we have made with this government represents a significant victory, but it is not the end of our campaign.
Maritime is fundamentally an international industry, and P&O Ferries represents the worst face of globalisation – attempting to exploit global labour markets by importing insecure employment for disposable labour and undermining the rights of skilled UK maritime professionals.
Our fight goes far beyond national borders. While the Employment Rights Bill provides crucial protections in the UK, Nautilus is taking our campaign international, working closely with the Nautilus Federation, European Transport Workers’ Federation, and International Transport Workers’ Federation to expose and challenge these exploitative practices. We’re collaborating across our branches in the Netherlands and Switzerland, and with international partners to create a unified front against employers who seek to treat maritime workers as commodities rather than skilled professionals.
Our message is clear: maritime workers are not disposable, and we will fight globally to ensure dignity, fair wages, and proper working conditions for every seafarer, regardless of their nationality.
We will continue this vital work, to ensure that what happened on our shores three years ago cannot happen again, by rebuilding a sector where skilled maritime professionals receive the respect, recognition and rewards they deserve.
Mark Dickinson is General Secretary of Nautilus International, the union for maritime professionals. This article first appeared in the GFTU’s Federation News (May 2025)