Maritime Labour Convention News

The German animal welfare organization Animal Welfare Foundation and the French environmental organization Robin des Bois have published a report on the safety risks associated with livestock carriers trading from the European Union. This snapshot of the fleet follows one produced by the organizations three years ago.Currently, 64 livestock carriers are permitted to load European animals on EU-ports to then export them to third countries. The report states that nearly half of…

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) said it has received many reports about withheld pay from individual seafarers working on eight Bahrain-registered vessels owned by Saudi Arabian company Hadi H Al Hamman Establishment. The company, which lists Saudi Aramco among its customers and was buying brand new ships as recently as 2018, has not paid seafarers for more than five months in some cases, the ITF said. One seafarer reported dangerously low levels of food…

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has launched a set of industry principles for establishing effective measures to combat and eliminate harassment and bullying in the maritime sector.The principles have been published against the backdrop of a report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) – alongside Lloyd’s Register Foundation (LRF) and Gallup – on experiences of violence and harassment at work. The first of its kind global survey and analysis benefitted from insights of 74,364 respondents in employment across a range of sectors in 121 countries and territories.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has banned the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier MSXT Emily from Australian waters for one year, after finding apparent serious issues of wage theft and seafarer mistreatment onboard.Following a tip-off from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), AMSA inspected the ship at the Port of Hay Point, in Queensland, and found evidence of several violations of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006.The vessel had been chartered by K-Line to load a cargo of coal for discharge in Japan.Seafarers onboard the vessel had not been paid in accordance with their Seafarer Employment Agreements: four contained apparently-forged signatures from employees…

New research has found that of almost 5,000 seafarers surveyed, almost 40% have experienced at least one form of unethical or illegal action in violation of international standards relating to worker rights either during the recruitment process or while working at sea.The research report was published by the Institute for Human Rights and Business and Sustainable Shipping Initiative and is based on surveyed data obtained between September 2022 and February 2023.The findings include that 70% (around 1…

Ship management services provider Anglo-Eastern Ship Management has selected maritime communications provider Inmarsat to connect its crew.Anglo-Eastern, which uses Inmarsat's Fleet Xpress services, in 2019 became one of the first companies to sign up for Inmarsat’s crew internet solution, Fleet Hotspot, which, Inmarsat says, provides its seafarers "with reliable, high-speed connectivity and the  freedom to use their devices on board." According to Inmarsat, Anglo-Eastern doubled the free internet allowance for its crew in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on crew welfare.

Mobile satellite communications specialist Inmarsat’s Fleet Hotspot has won the Mission to Seafarers Innovation Award at the Seafarers Awards Singapore 2022.Presented in a ceremony at the Regent Singapore hotel on 6 October, the award recognises Inmarsat for its outstanding contribution to crew welfare."With the well-being of seafarers under heightened scrutiny since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing crew-change crisis, recent amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 have made crew connectivity a requirement for shipowners.

Data usage on commercial maritime vessels has jumped more than threefold since 2019, according to new communications analysis by maritime comms specialist Inmarsat.Inmarsat said the study results underline the shipping industry’s reliance on digital connectivity to enhance operating efficiency and safeguard crew welfare during a period of unprecedented disruption to seaborne trade.The internal study undertaken by Inmarsat, which says it connects more vessels than any other provider…

The international shipping industry continued its long-term positive safety trend over the past year. The number of large vessels lost remained at record low levels in 2020, while reported incidents declined year-on-year, according to Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE’s  (AGCS) Safety & Shipping Review 2021.The AGCS report notes that the shipping sector has shown great resilience through the coronavirus pandemic, as evidenced by strong trade volumes and the recovery seen in several parts of the industry today.

As the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) apex institution for maritime and ocean education, the World Maritime University (WMU) adds its voice to widespread concerns over the serious effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health, wellbeing, and safety of seafarers.As countries around the world retreat to fight the pandemic, travel restrictions and financial losses are hitting shipping and other ocean-related industries hard. At sea, maritime workers are bearing the…

Employment of Indian seafarers on Indian and foreign ships witnessed a growth of 45 percent in the last three years.The Minister of State for Shipping Mansukh Mandaviya informed the Parliament that the number has increased from 143940 in 2016 to 208799 globally in 2018.The Minister informed that the Government has taken several initiatives and policy decisions to  help increase the share of Indian seafarers at the global level.For example, seafarers are being employed on ships through secured paths i.e. either by Indian shipowners on Indian flag ships,regulated under Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 or on foreign flag ships through registered…

France has become the 29th State to sign up to the International Maritime Organization (IMO)  treaty on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F).The Convention sets the certification and minimum training requirements for crews of seagoing fishing vessels of 24 metres in length and above.The STCW-F Convention is the first to establish basic requirements on training, certification and watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel on an international level. The Convention prescribes minimum standards relating to training, certification and watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel, which countries…

Turkish shipbuilder and tugboat operator Med Marine signed a contract for a MED-A2360 series tugboat with Saam Guatemala for its Puerto Quetzal operations.The vessel is a RAmparts 2300-MM tugboat, designed exclusively for Med Marine. She is named as Saam Itza and the delivery is set for June 2019.Med Marine built 6 units of the same design with 50 TBP some of which were recently sold; some are being operated in Med Marine’s own fleet.ASD type high-quality vessel is designed for harbour and terminal operations, and coastal towing. She has the length of 23,00m, the beam of 10,90m and the depth of 4,4m.The RAmparts 2300-MM tugs are compliant with the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) with high-quality and great-comfort accommodation…

Maritime NZ detained the Panama-flagged bulk carrier Daiwan Justice on Saturday, March 2, 2019, at Lyttelton after a complaint the crews’ wages had not been paid for almost four months.Maritime NZ Southern Regional Compliance Manager Michael Vredenburg said, the detention was lifted later on Saturday after the ship’s operator, Taiwanese company, Wisdom Marine International Limited, paid the crew.Last year Daiwan Fortune, another Wisdom Marine International ship, was also detained.

Belgium-headquartered EXMAR Ship Management has selected the LuminUltra Quench-Gone Aqueous (QGA) test kit to monitor the quality of the drinking water produced onboard the LPG FSO NKOSSA II.The decision follows the success of the QGA solution in analysing the quality of the water produced by reverse osmosis aboard accommodation barges operating offshore West Africa.Paul-Philippe Halleux, who is a Technical Superintendent from EXMAR Ship Management’s Offshore Services division, commented: “We cannot emphasise enough the importance of testing the quality of our drinking water on a regular basis. We produce drinking water through reverse…

The number of ships under Indian Flag on December 31, 2017 was 1374 while as on October 31, 2018 the number of ships is 1399 (12.79 Million Tonnes). There is an increase of 25 numbers of ships in last 10 monthsAccording to shipping ministry sources, the number of seafarers in India has seen an unprecedented growth of 42.3% due to various policy level changes brought in by the Government in the last four years.The number of seafarers in December’ 17 was 1,54,349 while the number of seafarers now has increases to 1,79,599.The Government of India has an ongoing INR 40 billion (USD 560 million) ShipbuildingFinancial Assistance Policy for 10 years (2016-2026) to encourage domesticshipbuilding.Under this policy…

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) continues to prepare the Port of Singapore and Singapore-registered ships for the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 0.5 per cent fuel global limit for sulphur in fuel oil used on board ships, which will take effect from 1 January 2020.In his opening address at the Singapore Registry of Ships (SRS) Forum, Chief Executive of MPA,  Andrew Tan, also announced initiatives by MPA to improve the delivery of its services.To prepare for the IMO 2020 0.5 per cent global emission limit for sulphur, MPA and the Singapore Shipping Association released two technical guidance booklets for…

Performing a vessel inspection is an important task. Inspections by flag and port States are key to keeping ship standards high and in turn reducing accidents and pollution to the maritime environment.To maintain a high level of safety in the region, a Regional Caribbean Ship Inspector Training course (CASIT) (29 October – 16 November) has been held in Trinidad and Tobago, said a press release from International Maritime Organization (IMO).The objective of the course is to prepare ship surveyors to be able to work in a Caribbean maritime administration. On completion, trainees will be able to carry out flag State inspection (FSI) on…

The Special Tripartite Committee approved amendments of the Maritime Labour Convention providing for seafarers to continue to be paid if held captive as a result of piracy or armed robbery against ships. Seafarers held captive as a result of an act of piracy or armed robbery against ships will continue to receive their wages and entitlements during their period of captivity under amendments  to the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended (MLC, 2006)  adopted by the Special Tripartite Committee  of the MLC, 2006 at a recent meeting at the ILO in Geneva. The amendments will be submitted for approval at the 28 May-8 June, 2018 International Labour Conference .

The European Commission (EC) has adopted a proposal for a Directive which aims at improving the working conditions of seafarers on board EU-flagged vessels. The proposal transposes an agreement between social partners in the maritime transport sector into EU law. This agreement in turn takes account of changes to the Maritime Labour Convention, which the Members of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) adopted in 2014. Seafarers will in the future be better protected against abandonment by shipowners. The new rules strengthen the right to compensation in the event of death or long-term disability due to an occupational injury, illness or hazard.

The European Maritime Social Partners (EMSP) warmly welcome the European Commission’s adoption of their proposal to update their Agreement on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC). The ILO MLC amendments entered into force on 18 January 2017 and require shipowners to provide financial security to ensure the repatriation of seafarers and the payment of contractual claims from seafarers or their dependants in respect of death in service or long-term disability. The MLC 2006 sets minimum requirements to improve seafarers’ working and living conditions including recruitment and placement practices…

Classification society ClassNK has released the latest version of Good Maintenance Onboard Ships (October, 2017), a checklist designed to be used by ship masters, crew, ship owners and other key personnel to ensure vessels are safe, well-maintained and comply with regulations. ClassNK’s Director of Survey Operations Division, Yoshinori Kozeki, said, “This easy-to-use checklist is a result of our ongoing commitment to improve the safety of life and property at sea, and the prevention of pollution of the marine environment. The latest edition of Good Maintenance Onboard Ships includes clear explanations, photo examples as well as guidance on the latest updates in the industry.

European shipowners and European transport workers speak together to warmly welcome today’s adoption of a Council Directive improving seafarers’ working conditions. This change will implement an agreement between the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) and the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), which will bring European rules up-to-date with international best practice. The new rules oblige shipowners to provide financial security protecting seafarers against the consequences of abandonment in an overseas port. In addition, this agreement ensures the payment of contractual compensation in the event of the death or long-term disability of a seafarer resulting from an occupational injury, illness or hazard.