Nautilus international merger: a union response to globalisation and capital trans-nationalisation

A major challenge for unions in the 21st century is how to reposition in ways that effectively counter the structural power of trans-national capital. The agenda for renewal has, however, so far been confined within the nation-state thus offering little challenge to internationally organised employers. This paper examines how, in the process of repositioning, two unions in the maritime sector previously organising in two different countries, have sought to break from this tradition by merging to create one single cross-border union.