ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to facilitate an understanding of maritime unions and union movements in some traditional maritime nations and regions. It discusses how unions have changed over time to overcome the challenges in the maritime industry and in the broad world economies. The chapter studies how the employee professional bodies and associations address their interest and how they interact with employer associations. It also discusses relevant international conventions and codes. The chapter describes a case study on industrial relations and international conventions. The issues of industrial relations, such as freedom of association, union protection and collective bargaining, are crucial when discussing the working and living conditions of human resources in the broad maritime domain. During the post-war period, unions successfully fought for improvements in the standards of living and working conditions for maritime workers. The history of maritime unions in Australia can be traced back to 1872 when the Sydney Wharf Labourers Union was established.
