02 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | October 2009
NAUTILUS AT WORK
Union could help to cut your power bills New members-only service could save the price of your subscription
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Former general secretary Eric Nevin addressing the TUC Congress on behalf of the MNAOA in the 1980s
Nautilus has recently teamed up with Union Energy to give members living in England, Scotland and Wales access to a new independent energy price comparison service that could save you more than the cost of membership. Union Energy’s service not only promises to find members the most competitive domestic energy deal available on the market, but also guarantees competitive prices in the future thanks to its Ongoing Monitoring Programme. To date, union members using
the service have saved an average of £154 per annum — and some as much as £585. Unlike most other energy price comparison sites, Union Energy’s service is 100% impartial and includes tariffs for every energy company active in the UK market for maximum choice. Customers therefore have all options available to them — be it standard gas and electricity paid by direct debit, single fuels, green energy, or capped rate products — supplied by smaller niche energy companies as well as ‘the big six’.
Nautilus assistant general secretary Paul Moloney, who is responsible for membership benefits, commented: ‘Our aim is to find benefits that save members money and therefore reduce the real cost of belonging to Nautilus International. ‘There is every possibility that using Union Energy could save you more than your annual subscription to the Union. ‘I hope that members will use the service — apparently, it would save me £346 a year on my present energy bill!’ Union Energy is owned by the
TUC and its new website is powered by Energylinx, a UK company with an excellent track record. What’s more, because its service is not just web-based, if you have any problems or queries you can pick up the phone and speak to an experienced person based in the UK who actually knows what they’re talking about. g Members wanting to find out more should visit the website: www.unionenergy.co.uk or call 0800 094 9039 (MondayThursday 9am-6pm; Friday 9am-4pm; Saturday 9am-1pm).
2008/2009 Nautilus project to build 10 new retirement bungalows. On Capt Robinson’s behalf, she also received the gift of a replica ship’s bell and clock. Paul Robinson served at sea for his
whole working life, culminating as master with Ellerman’s. He was a member of the Welfare Funds Committee for some 25 years, and had served as its chairman since 1999, spearheading many important
initiatives to improve the lives of serving and retired seafarers. A memorial sundial donated by the Robinson family has now been installed in the grounds of Mariners’ Park as a permanent tribute.
Tributes for former GS Highest honour awarded Eric Nevin N
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Tributes have been paid to former NUMAST general secretary Eric Nevin, whose funeral took place last month after he died following a long illness. Mr Nevin, who was 78, had been appointed general secretary of the Merchant Navy & Airline Officers Association in 1974 and led the Union through the merger of the Mercantile Marine Service Association and Radio & Electronic Officers Union that created NUMAST in 1985. Born in Waterloo, Lancashire, Mr Nevin was educated at St Mary’s College, Crosby, and at HMS Conway, completing his marine studies at Liverpool Technical College. He served at sea from 1948 to 1959 with Alfred Holt, Blue Funnel and Glen Lines and obtained his Master’s Foreign Going Certificate in 1957. He was member of the Royal Institute of Navigation and a fellow of the Nautical Institute. Mr Nevin joined the then MNAOA as assistant district secretary in the Liverpool office in 1959 and became a national secretary in 1961, with responsibility for the legal department and with additional responsibilities in training and maritime technical and safety matters. In 1968, Mr Nevin’s duties changed to cover industrial negotiations and he was appointed assistant general secretary in 1971 before being elected by the Council as general secretary in 1974. Mr Nevin represented the Union on a wide range of external organisations, including the governing bodies of HMS Conway, the London Nautical School and the Merchant Navy College. He also served as vice-chairman of the Merchant Navy Training Board and chairman of the MNTB technical committee, as well as being vice-
chairman of the joint International Labour Organisation/International Maritime Organisation committee on training. Other roles he filled included positions on the National Maritime Board, the Merchant Navy Welfare Board and the Merchant Navy Officers’ Pension Fund. Mr Nevin also served on the governing body of King George’s Fund for Sailors (now known as Seafarers UK), the Merchant Seamen’s War Memorial Society, the Marine Society and the Conway Trust. He was instrumental in establishing the JW Slater Memorial Fund — which provides support for ratings training for officer certification — in memory of his immediate predecessor, John Slater, who had died in office. Mr Nevin leaves a widow, Kay, a son, Michael, and a daughter, Cheryl. In his address to the funeral service last month, Michael said: ‘Throughout his career my father was a leader who was respected for his fairness and pragmatism and as someone who possessed a steely determination to defend the rights of those who needed support.’ Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson attended the service, and commented: ‘Eric successfully led the Union through some very difficult times, and helped to lay the foundations for Nautilus by bringing the three UK officers’ organisations together as NUMAST. ‘He also had a strong record of achievement for seafarers at the international level, representing the Union at the ITF and the ILO — where he did a considerable amount of work on a number of conventions, including the development of Convention 147 on minimum conditions for merchant shipping,’ Mr Dickinson added.
Nautilus International has paid tribute to the work of the late NUMAST Welfare Funds chairman Captain Paul Robinson, with the presentation of the Nautilus Award to his wife Val, pictured right, and the installation of a memorial at Mariners’ Park. The Nautilus Award is the Union’s highest honour, presented for exceptional service to seafarers. The decision to recognise Capt Robinson’s work in this way had been taken by Council back in July 2008, so he was able to hear of the award before his untimely death from a serious illness in May this year — although he could not receive the award at the Biennial General Meeting as originally planned. Capt Robinson’s name has now been entered into the Book of Honour for Nautilus Award winners. To mark the occasion, Val Robinson was invited to the 8 September Welfare Funds Committee meeting. She was presented with a certificate and a framed photo of her husband ‘cutting the first sod’ at the beginning of the
Cliff celebrates 25 years of service K
Mariners’ Park maintenance worker Cliff Jones, right, received a long-service award last month after notching up 25 years with the Union. Cliff was congratulated by NUMAST Welfare Funds Committee chairman Bob Thornton at a ceremony in Nautilus International’s northern office Nautilus House on 8 September. He later received a financial bonus for his two-and-ahalf decades of service. The hard-working employee came to the Union with a background in marine plumbing, ship repair and shipbreaking, and has shown he can turn his hand to almost anything over the years.
Since he joined, he has seen the Mariners’ Park complex develop
into one of the UK’s most advanced and highly-rated retirement
facilities — and his own work has also moved with the times. Having started out as a traditional handyman, Cliff now also helps to support the increasing use of technology at the park, working with the teams installing computers and hi-tech care equipment for the residents. ‘The Union was pleased to have this opportunity to thank Cliff for his many years of excellent work,’ director of operations Mike Jess told the Telegraph. ‘In an age where the trend is for people to change jobs frequently, it’s good to keep loyal workers with us and help them develop their skills in-house as Cliff has done.’