Our work
House of Commons Early Day Motion
The House of Commons shows its support for Apostleship of the Sea by signing an Early Day Motion in support of Sea Sunday
Sea Sunday is the day when we remember all those who live and work at sea. It is a day dedicated to raising awareness for merchant seafarers and the conditions they face at sea.
Apostleship of the Sea and the House of Commons together acknowledge that the inherent problems for many thousands of merchant seafarers consist of dangerous working conditions, low pay, poor morale, sickness, and separation from family. Apostleship of the Sea works to combat these problems; it is the frontline service for the care of seafarers visiting our shores. It provides practical care to seafarers and works to educate the public and statutory bodies on the issues facing seafarers on a daily basis. It depends wholly on voluntary contributions to continue its vital work.
The House of Commons has congratulated the Apostleship of the Sea on its work for the welfare and rights of all seafarers. They urge all businesses which import and export goods by sea to be responsible corporate citizens and encourage their shipping providers to adopt an acceptable minimum level of care for their seafaring employees as advised by the Maritime Labour Convention 2006.
click here to read more about Sea Sunday 2008
click here to read the Early Day Motion on the House of Commons website
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Early Day Motions
Early Day Motions or "EDMs" are formal motions submitted for debate in the House of Commons. The name comes from the traditional request to debate "on an early day" i.e. whenever possible. In reality, most EDMs are never debated. Instead they serve to draw attention to campaigns or events or for individual MPs to express a point of view. Strict rules govern the format of EDMs. They must consist of a single sentence, no more than 250 words, containing no unparliamentary language or irony.
EDM 1915, Sea Sunday and the Welfare of Seafarers, was sponsored by Jim Dobbin, MP for Heywood and Middleton. Within two days of being tabled, it had already received a further 34 signatures of support from MPs of various parties.