NUSI renames Seamen Unity Day as 'Seafarers Unity Day'

Shipping body National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) on Wednesday renamed 'Seamen's Unity Day' as 'Seafarers Unity Day' to maintain gender sensitivity.

November 6 was celebrated every year as 'Seamen's Unity Day'.

"India's oldest shipping trade union National Union of Seafarers of India or NUSI today announced that henceforth it will celebrate Seamen's Unity Day as Seafarers Unity Day every year to maintain gender sensitivity as thousands of women seafarers residing across India have become members of NUSI in the past few years," the body said in a statement.

On November 6, 1963, various shipping unions operating across India merged to form an alliance under the banner of NUSI, it said, adding that since then the day is celebrated every year as Seamen's Unity Day to commemorate the formation of grand alliance of shipping unions.

NUSI General Secretary Abdulgani Serang said, "It is our endeavour to encourage and promote the participation of women seafarers in our union. The buoyancy witnessed in India's maritime sector currently throws a lot of career opportunities for women seafarers, especially in the cruise tourism industry. Hence, we thought of taking this historical step to rename our Unity Day celebrations every year".

Also to promote entrepreneurial talent amongst women seafarers and women members of seafarers' families, NUSI will be providing technical and financial assistance to them for establishing micro or small scale business units for manufacturing eco-friendly products, apparels, home-made eatables, etc under "NUSI Saheli Swayam Rojgar Yojana" scheme, it said in a statement.