Shipowners, governments and seafarer representatives have agreed a raft of improvements to the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 during a meeting at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) headquarters in Geneva from 7-11 April 2025.
The MLC, sometimes referred to as the ‘Seafarers Bill of Rights’, lays out the basic entitlements for seafarers internationally. It is a living document that is regularly amended with the participation of labour, government and industry representatives through the Special Tripartite Committee on the MLC, 2006. Countries that have signed up to the MLC must create domestic legislation that puts any new requirements into practice.
After ratification in June 2025, the latest round of amendments will enter into force from December 2027. The amendments, several of which address weaknesses in the MLC exposed by Covid-19 restrictions, include:
- Recognition of seafarers as key workers
- Strengthened repatriation rules
- Mandatory shore leave access
- Improved protection against bullying and harassment onboard
- A recommendation for ships to carry the ICS International Medical Guide for Seafarers and Fishers
At the meeting, shipowners also agreed to action on hours of work and rest, with future discussions to focus on the failure to enforce existing regulations.
Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson acted as spokesman for the seafarers’ group at the meeting, in his role as International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) seafarers’ section vice chair. He said: ‘The latest amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention mark real progress in our fight against the unjust treatment and criminalisation of seafarers.
‘During the Covid-19 pandemic, seafarers experienced completely unacceptable treatment despite their heroic efforts to deliver essential supplies and keep the world’s supply chains moving. Key worker status is a milestone achievement for seafarers that will help to ensure that something like the crew change crisis does not happen again in a time of global emergency.’
Tags