Fair Trade

INTRODUCTION
The issue of fair trade holds more meaning to Nautilus International than what it may to others. The common understanding of the Fair Trade campaign refers to the prevention of exploiting people who export their goods to other countries - often these people are subsistence farmers in Africa, Asia or South America.

However, more than 90% of Britain's imports come by ship and Nautilus International says a key element is excluded from the Fair Trade equation - seafarers.

REASON FOR CAMPAIGN
Nautilus believes that seafarers' working conditions and shipboard social standards should be taken into account when products are assessed as being ethically sound. At present, consumers do not get to see the conditions of employment and abuse that many seafarers are subject to at sea.

Approximately 10% of ships in the world fleet are classed as substandard. Together with weak national regulatory mechanisms and a general reluctance to enforce international labour standards, these factors are fuelling the decline in seafarers' working conditions.

Still today, some seafarers of all nationalities are subject to low wages, inadequate manning, excessive working hours, bad ship conditions. Some are even abandoned in ports.

ACTION
The Union is working hard to ensure that the UK and other governments ratify and implement the Maritime Labour Convention - the so-called 'bill of rights for seafarers', which was agreed in 2006. This will ensure further protection of seafarers and could eliminate most of the abuse and exploitation they suffer.

So effectively, when consumers buy Fair Trade products, they can be sure that the label also covers the way in which those products reached our shores.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
If you're working in the maritime sector and not already a member of Nautilus International, join now by clicking here. Why should you become a member? Click here.