MARITIME professionals have long been the invisible engine of global progress. From the earliest days of international trade to today’s interconnected economy, seafarers have enabled the movement of goods, ideas, and people across oceans.

Their efforts moving 95 per cent of everything silently shaping the world in which we live.

Despite their vital role, UK-resident seafarers can be denied the rights and protections afforded to land-based workers.

Offshore employment contracts and outdated laws can block their access to fair treatment.

Some progress has been made. Seafarers working regularly in UK territorial waters or on vessels calling into UK ports at least 120 times a year now benefit from improved protections.

The Employment Rights Bill currently before Parliament offers further light, with provisions acknowledging the unique challenges faced by seafarers. For too long, seafarers have been treated as exceptions. This Bill signals a welcome shift, and the government deserves credit.

Yet offshore employment contracts remain widespread in the shipping industry. These arrangements allow employers to avoid employer National Insurance contributions by registering workers under overseas jurisdictions, typically also with weaker workers’ rights.

UK-resident seafarers are consequently left without full social security protections or legal recourse. No worker should be excluded from their country’s protections simply because their job is at sea.

Fuelling this injustice is the widespread use of Flags of Convenience (FoCs) — where shipowners register vessels in countries that lack a genuine link or enforcement capabilities as required under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

This ship registration practice rewards evasion of responsibility and undermines accountability. FoCs turbocharge deregulation, stripping responsible flag states like the UK of their ability to enforce safety, labour, and environmental standards.

When cost-cutting trumps crew welfare and responsible ownership a race to the bottom ensues and competition is fierce.

Modern-day abuses such as illegal recruitment fees and seafarer abandonment (“when the master of the ship has been left without any financial means in respect of ship operation”) further worsen the situation.

These practices trap workers in debt and leave them stranded without pay or support.

In 2025 so far, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) reported over 2,280 seafarers abandoned aboard 222 vessels, with £9.7 million in unpaid wages. Nearly 75 per cent of these vessels fly FoCs, highlighting the structural enablers of abuse.

Examples abound. Crews left without food or medical care, stranded in ports, or abandoned on rusting hulls - these are not isolated incidents — they reflect a system that allows the worst employers to discard their workforce with impunity.

The ITF has led efforts to combat these injustices — recovering unpaid wages, pressuring governments to enforce international conventions, and advocating for reforms to protect seafarers from abandonment and exploitative recruitment.

That’s why Nautilus International is calling for action — and why our motion to Congress is so vital.
We urge the TUC general council to support a campaign for:
   • Legislation protecting UK-resident seafarers, including cabotage provisions to grow local jobs, boost domestic shipping and help revitalise coastal communities. 
   • A comprehensive review of offshore employment practices, ensuring UK seafarers receive the same protections as land-based workers. 
   • Enforcement of international maritime law, particularly UNCLOS Articles 91 and 94, to challenge the legitimacy of FOCs and combat seafarer abandonment.

These proposals are not radical — they are reasonable, necessary, and long overdue. They reflect a commitment to decent work, fair regulation, and sovereignty over our maritime labour market.

Revitalising domestic maritime employment offers a path to regeneration. Coastal communities have long been shaped by global trade. By investing in fair employment at sea, we can support local economies, create good local jobs, and renew the social contract with those who make global commerce possible.

This is not just about seafarers, it’s about the kind of country we want to be. Do we stand up for workers, or do we allow loopholes and offshore arrangements to undermine their rights?

Do we enforce the law, or do we let flags of convenience continue to drive a race to the bottom?

The UK has an opportunity to lead. By passing this motion and supporting Nautilus International’s campaign, Congress can send a clear message: that our maritime professionals deserve the same protections, respect, and opportunities as any other worker. That we value their contribution, and we will fight for their rights.

Let’s anchor our maritime professionals in fair employment. Let’s chart a course toward justice, dignity, and decent work at sea.

Martyn Gray is director of organising at Nautilus International.