Nautilus general secretary voted back to Trades Union Congress ruling body

Nautilus International general secretary Mark Dickinson was re-elected in 2017 to the ruling body of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the general council (GC), for the ninth year in a row.

The GC also approved his surprise appointment to the TUC executive committee, where he joins colleagues Ged Nichols (Accord) and Simon Weller (Aslef) from the smaller specialist unions.

Mr Dickinson received 204,000 votes in the elections for the seven TUC general council seats reserved for smaller specialist unions.

'I do feel honoured to be returned to the TUC general council for a further term and blown away to be asked to serve on the executive,' Mr Dickinson said. 'Our role on the GC is of necessity to take a broader view of the world of work, but our work to protect the British shipping industry and the employment and training of British seafarers nevertheless makes it important that a maritime union is represented at the highest levels of the trade union movement. We can offer real insights to the challenges our members face in the most globalised of all industries, which will help others. I will now take this experience to the executive committee.

We need to need to make a contribution to the TUC's work, but also secure the widest of support for our campaigns to influence government policy and I want to make sure that maritime issues are right at the top of the TUC agenda in the year ahead. Nautilus general secretary, Mark Dickinson

'Our motions to this year's Congress have highlighted some of the most pressing problems facing members at present and the support of the TUC will help us in our battle to secure effective action to tackle issues such as training and unfair competition in UK waters. Being asked to serve on the executive is a privilege and a responsibility that I take very seriously,' Mr Dickinson said.