Union takes leading role in new UK diversity taskforce

Nautilus International has taken a lead role in a new initiative to encourage diversity in the UK maritime industry.

The new Diversity in Maritime Taskforce is due to be launched by industry umbrella organisation Maritime UK in May and Nautilus head of strategy Debbie Cavaldoro has been invited to co-chair the group.

The new Taskforce sees Maritime UK mirroring the Union's approach to diversity following the launch of the Nautilus Equality and Diversity Forum at its General Meeting in Rotterdam last year with a number of safe space groups working alongside it.

Maritime UK will hold an online launch of the Diversity in Maritime Taskforce on Tuesday 5 May, with networks dedicated to mental health; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+); Black, Asian and minority ethnicities (BAME) and age discrimination due to be launched across the year. In the future these groups will sit alongside the Women in Maritime group which is already established.

'I am delighted that Maritime UK is focussing on a wider approach to diversity and discrimination in the maritime industry and am very excited at being able to co-chair the new taskforce through its inaugural period,' Ms Cavaldoro said.

'With the help of the Women in Maritime group and Nautilus's Women's Forum, we have really started to get the message out to the maritime industry that a gender diverse workforce is better for everyone,' said Ms Cavaldoro.

'Whilst there is still plenty of work to be done in actually achieving a gender balance, companes are a last listening and working on solutions.

'However, gender balance is only one hurdle along the path to a fully diverse workforce, I hope that the initiatives that helped to get that message across – like the women in maritime pledge – can now be applied to other areas which are underrepresented in the UK's maritime industry.'

Nautilus members are invited to support the launch of the Diversity in Maritime taskforce by recording a short video saying: 'Working in the maritime sector is great because…' or 'Creating a diverse maritime sector is important because…'.

Videos should also include your name, role, company and union, and members can also download the new Diversity in Maritime logo to hold up during their video. These videos will then be shown online during the launch.

Please send videos and completed consent forms (available from www.maritimeuk.org) to Chrissie Clarke at Maritime UK by 21 April 2020.