Mark Dickinson
Workplace violence is, rightly, a big issue for trade unionists. And at Nautilus International, the union for maritime professionals, we are having to deal with one of the most extreme forms of workplace violence – piracy.
It seems incredible that in the 21st century our members are exposed on a daily basis to a crime that most people think was consigned to the history books in the 17th century. But the sad reality is that last year saw a total of 410 officially recorded attacks on merchant ships in piracy incidents and more than 1,100 incidents of violent attacks against their crews – including the use of guns, knives and even rocket-propelled grenades.
