Leave no worker behind, whether on land or at sea, Nautilus GS urges Tolpuddle Festival

Nautilus International general secretary Mark Dickinson has issued a rallying cry for workers and trade unionists to fight for dignity, justice and their right to a collective voice at this year’s Tolpuddle Festival.

Mr Dickinson attended the Festival in his capacity as TUC president. It is held each year to honour six farm workers who were punished in 1834 for forming a union. It celebrates trade unionism, social justice, and workers' rights, bringing people together through music, talks, and marches to remember their legacy and continue the fight for fair labour conditions.

Speaking to an audience that included activists, politicians, members of the public and trade unionists from across the UK and beyond, Mr Dickinson highlighted the importance of the struggle of those six workers, even 200 years on.

‘Their struggle – for voice, dignity, and justice – still defines our movement today. Tolpuddle teaches us that solidarity can’t be exiled, criminalised, or drowned out. It endures. It inspires. It wins,’ he said.

As the first seafarer representative to hold the role of TUC president since 1958, he also took the opportunity both to highlight the work and struggles of seafarers and to make attendees aware of the battles that Nautilus International is currently fighting on behalf of members.

‘I went to sea as a teenager, so I know how isolated and vulnerable workers can be – seafarers are often thousands of miles from home, work long hours, many suffer poor conditions, and often no voice. But I also know how powerful a union can be when it organises in the most difficult of places and circumstances.

‘Nautilus International operates in a fragmented, globalised industry where dodgy operators exploit loopholes, they pit workers against each other by nationality and use flags of convenience to avoid the effective enforcement of basic employment laws and fundamental human rights,’ he said.

‘As general secretary of Nautilus International, I lead a union in an industry facing huge change. There is a huge push for decarbonisation, digitalisation, and automation – we’re facing a new threat: that workers will once again be treated as collateral.

‘That’s why Nautilus launched our Just Transition campaign — to make sure that the shift to green fuels and new technologies in shipping is done with workers, not to them. We support decarbonisation. But we’re demanding a transition that includes reskilling, investment, proper consultation, and new green jobs with decent standards.

‘A green economy means nothing if it’s built on insecure, underpaid, and disposable labour. And that’s where the Employment Rights Bill becomes crucial.’

He concluded his speech with a call for all of us to continue the legacy of the Tolpuddle Martyrs by pushing for a truly Just Transition, by fighting to pass the UK Employment Rights Bill, and by refusing to let any worker – on land or at sea – be left behind.