SHIPPING is the industry which makes modern life possible — and especially in an island nation like Britain, where more than 90 per cent of our trade comes and goes by sea. However, the workers who make shipping possible remain largely out of sight and out of mind.

As the union representing 20,000 maritime professionals, Nautilus is seeking the support of Congress delegates this year to make sure that this often neglected, often exploited and sometimes abused workforce is given greater protection from government and employers.

Ours is a global industry, and it means our members are uniquely exposed to global pressures — whether that means having to fight for jobs where some foreign seafarers in our own waters are working for a fraction of the National Minimum Wage, or running the risk of interception off the Iranian coast or pirate attacks in West African waters.