Maritime professionals will begin to benefit from the largest shakeup of UK employment rights in decades as the UK's Employment Rights Act comes into force.
The government has issued an updated implementation timeline for its Plan to Make Work Pay and the Employment Rights Act 2025.
The reforms aim to modernise employment law, extend protections to more workers, and strengthen workplace rights, and will be introduced in phases throughout 2026 and 2027 to allow employers and unions time to prepare. The new Fair Work Agency will become a key enforcement body.
Among many other changes, improvements for maritime professionals include: simplified requirements for industrial action and balloting and stronger protections against dismissal for taking part (18 February 2026); strengthening trade unions' right of access (October 2026), and commencement of the Mandatory Seafarers' Charter (December 2026).
Nautilus director of organising Martyn Gray said: 'Nautilus continues to participate in all consultations on the government's Make Work Pay agenda and continues to achieve significant recognition and support for the rights of all maritime professionals.
'The Employment Rights Act shows that Nautilus continues to punch well above its weight, in defence of all those we represent, and the results are now starting to show in legislation and wider support.'
Tags