Fewer than one in every 10 crew members serving on superyachts are members of a union, a new report has revealed. A study carried out by the Seafarers International Research Centre (SIRC) at Cardiff University found that just 7% of professional crew in the sector were trade union members.
The report draws from a survey completed by more than 1,500 crew, more than half of which were captains or chief engineer officers.
They discovered that more than one in five had concerns over job security, working conditions and lack of regulation over contracts.
The study was conducted to assess the potential impact of the international Maritime Labour Convention 2006 on the large yacht sector and demonstrates why the Union is actively recruiting in the sector.
The worries about job security and the general lack of welfare provision underline the need for crew to join such an organisation.
This research demonstrates the importance of the legal and industrial support offered by a specialist organisation for maritime professionals.
Nautilus the trade union that looks after professional crew are presently dealing with an increasing number of cases on behalf of yacht members including legal representation for accidents at work, unpaid wages, repatriation, suspended certificates and advice and support for work-related problems.
With the MLC likely to come into effect next year, there has probably never been a more appropriate time for seafarers in the large yacht sector to become a member of such an organisation.
Nautilus is the only professional organisation to represent solely officers and crew within the Industry and are recognised by the ILO as the representative for seafarers within the sector.