Around 3,000 employees of the River Advice Group, working on river cruise ships for various tour operators and ship owners in Europe, will soon benefit from a new deal between River Advice and Nautilus, according to a company statement.

The collective agreement has been signed by Robert Straubhaar, CEO and main shareholder of the River Advice Group, and Holger Schatz, national secretary for the Swiss sector of the trade union Nautilus International.

This is the result of an agreement that has just been signed by the River Advice Group, a management company in the river cruise business, and the independent trade union Nautilus International, active in the maritime sector.

In addition to minimum wages for both hotel and nautical staff, the agreement stipulates the transparent cooperation between the social partners regarding the implementation of appropriate working hours.

This contract comes as a measure of protection for multinational employees, given the frequent changes of territory, vessels under a variety of flags, as well as cultural and language barriers which entail a certain staff vulnerability.

It is also part of the coordinated efforts of the European social partners to create a legally watertight and socially acceptable industry.