The European maritime union Nautilus is seeking compensation for a woman captain member who was denied her maternity rights.
The case took place on board a United Kingdom-flagged superyacht, which was arrested in France after the employer refused to pay the captain her full maternity entitlement.
After Nautilus took up the member’s case for non-payment of maternity entitlement, her lawyer discovered other irregularities on board the vessel. The union says that the member – a UK national resident in France – is now likely to receive a large compensation pay-out due to the employer's refusal to grant her maternity rights in accordance with French law, as well as its failure to declare her employment to the appropriate authorities, and damages for breach of her seafarers’ employment agreement (SEA).
The captain had been on continuous service on the vessel since 2015. After claiming breach of contract and terminating her contract of employment, her lawyer sought authorisation for an arrest warrant for the vessel as a precautionary measure.
The case was made possible under the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, which in France covers maternity rights as well as other labour protection.
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