A new centre to promote seafarers' rights has been launched but will be a research focussed organisation rather than one battling negligent shipowners on the dockside.

Seafarers’ Rights International will conduct research into relevant legal issues, have an educational role and provide legal training and consultancy.

It has been set up as a independent organisation but has received a start up grant from an International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) charity with Deirdre Fitzpatrick the ITF’s legal advisor as executive director.

The