MLC 2006

By Nitin Jaiswal in IMO Edit Doc SEAFARERS EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL RIGHTS

1. Every seafarer has the right to a safe and secure workplace that complies with safety standards. 2. Every seafarer has a right to fair terms of employment. 3. Every seafarer has a right to decent working and living conditions on board ship. 4. Every seafarer has a right to health protection, medical care, welfare measures and other forms of social protection. 5. Each Member shall ensure, within the limits of its jurisdiction, that the seafarers employment and social rights set out in the preceding paragraphs of this Article are fully implemented in accordance with the requirements of this Convention. Unless specified otherwise in the Convention, such implementation may be achieved through national laws or regulations, through applicable collective bargaining agreements or through other measures or in practice. Regulation 1.1 Minimum age Purpose: To ensure that no under-age persons work on a ship 1. No person below the minimum age shall be employed or engaged or work on a ship. 2. The minimum age at the time of the initial entry into force of this Convention is 16 years. 3. A higher minimum age shall be required in the circumstances set out in the Code. Regulation 1.2 Medical certificate

Purpose: To ensure that all seafarers are medically fit to perform their duties at sea Regulation 1.3 Training and qualifications Purpose: To ensure that seafarers are trained or qualified to carry out their duties on board ship Regulation 1.4 Recruitment and placement Purpose: To ensure that seafarers have access to an efficient and well-regulated seafarer recruitment and placement system TITLE 2. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT Conditions of employment Regulation 2.1 Seafarers employment agreements Purpose: To ensure that seafarers have a fair employment agreement Regulation 2.2 Wages Purpose: To ensure that seafarers are paid for their services Regulation 2.3 Hours of work and hours of rest Purpose: To ensure that seafarers have regulated hours of work or hours of rest 1. Each Member shall ensure that the hours of work or hours of rest for seafarers are regulated. 2. Each Member shall establish maximum hours of work or minimum hours of rest over given periods that are consistent with the provisions in the Code. (a) hours of work means time during which seafarers are required to do work on account of the ship; (b) hours of rest means time outside hours of work; this term does not include short breaks. The limits on hours of work or rest shall be as follows:

(a) maximum hours of work shall not exceed: (i) 14 hours in any 24-hour period; and (ii) 72 hours in any seven-day period; or (b) minimum hours of rest shall not be less than: (i) ten hours in any 24-hour period; and (ii) 77 hours in any seven-day period. Hours of rest may be divided into no more than two periods, one of which shall be at least six hours in length, and the interval between consecutive periods of rest shall not exceed 14 hours. 1. At sea and in port the following provisions should apply to all young seafarers under the age of 18: (a) working hours should not exceed eight hours per day and 40 hours per week and overtime should be worked only where unavoidable for safety reasons; (b) sufficient time should be allowed for all meals, and a break of at least one hour for the main meal of the day should be assured; and (c) a 15-minute rest period as soon as possible following each two hours of continuous work should be allowed. Regulation 2.4 Entitlement to leave Purpose: To ensure that seafarers have adequate leave 1. Each Member shall require that seafarers employed on ships that fly its flag are given paid annual leave under appropriate conditions, in accordance with the provisions in the Code. 2. Seafarers shall be granted shore leave to benefit their health and well-being and with the operational requirements of their positions.

Regulation 2.5 Repatriation Purpose: To ensure that seafarers are able to return home Regulation 2.6 Seafarer compensation for the ships loss or foundering Purpose: To ensure that seafarers are compensated when a ship is lost or has foundered Regulation 2.7 Manning levels Purpose: To ensure that seafarers work on board ships with sufficient personnel for the safe, efficient and secure operation of the ship Regulation 2.8 Career and skill development and opportunities for seafarers employment Purpose: To promote career and skill development and employment opportunities for seafarers TITLE 3. ACCOMMODATION, RECREATIONAL FACILITIES, FOOD AND CATERING Accommodation, recreational facilities, food and catering Regulation 3.1 Accommodation and recreational facilities Purpose: To ensure that seafarers have decent accommodation and recreational facilities on board Regulation 3.2 Food and catering Purpose: To ensure that seafarers have access to good quality food and drinking water provided under regulated hygienic conditions TITLE 4. HEALTH PROTECTION, MEDICAL CARE, WELFARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY PROTECTION Health protection, medical care, welfare and social security protection Regulation 4.1 Medical care on board ship and ashore Purpose: To protect the health of seafarers and ensure their prompt access

to medical care on board ship and ashore Regulation 4.2 Shipowners liability Purpose: To ensure that seafarers are protected from the financial consequences of sickness, injury or death occurring in connection with their employment Regulation 4.3 Health and safety protection and accident prevention Purpose: To ensure that seafarers work environment on board ships promotes occupational safety and health Regulation 4.4 Access to shore-based welfare facilities Purpose: To ensure that seafarers working on board a ship have access to shore-based facilities and services to secure their health and wellbeing Regulation 4.5 Social security Purpose: To ensure that measures are taken with a view to providing seafarers with access to social security protection TITLE 5. COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT Regulation 5.1 Flag State responsibilities Purpose: To ensure that each Member implements its responsibilities under this Convention with respect to ships that fly its flag Regulation 5.1.3 Maritime labour certificate and declaration of maritime labour compliance 1. This Regulation applies to ships of: (a) 500 gross tonnage or over, engaged in international voyages; and (b) 500 gross tonnage or over, flying the flag of a Member and operating from a port, or between ports, in another country.

Regulation 5.1.5 On-board complaint procedures 1. Each Member shall require that ships that fly its flag have on-board procedures for the fair, effective and expeditious handling of seafarer complaints alleging breaches of the requirements of this Convention (including seafarers rights). 2. Each Member shall prohibit and penalize any kind of victimization of a seafarer for filing a complaint. 3. The provisions in this Regulation and related sections of the Code are without prejudice to a seafarers right to seek redress through whatever legal means the seafarer considers appropriate. Regulation 5.1.6 Marine casualties 1. Each Member shall hold an official inquiry into any serious marine casualty, leading to injury or loss of life, that involves a ship that flies its flag. The final report of an inquiry shall normally be made public. 2. Members shall cooperate with each other to facilitate the investigation of serious marine casualties referred to in paragraph 1 of this Regulation Regulation 5.2 Port State responsibilities Purpose: To enable each Member to implement its responsibilities under this Convention regarding international cooperation in the implementation and enforcement of the Convention standards on foreign ships Regulation 5.2.1 Inspections in port 1. Every foreign ship calling, in the normal course of its business or for operational reasons, in the port of a Member may be the subject of inspection in accordance with paragraph 4 of Article V for the purpose of reviewing compliance with the requirements

of this Convention (including seafarers rights) relating to the working and living conditions of seafarers on the ship. 2. Each Member shall accept the maritime labour certificate and the declaration of maritime labour compliance required under Regulation 5.1.3 as prima facie evidence of compliance with the requirements of this Convention (including seafarers rights). Accordingly, the inspection in its ports shall, except in the circumstances specified in the Code, be limited to a review of the certificate and declaration. 3. Inspections in a port shall be carried out by authorized officers in accordance with the provisions of the Code and other applicable international arrangements governing port State control inspections in the Member. Any such inspection shall be limited to verifying that the matter inspected is in conformity with the relevant requirements set out in the Articles and Regulations of this Convention and in Part A only of the Code. 4. Inspections that may be carried out in accordance with this Regulation shall be based on an effective port State inspection and monitoring system to help ensure that the working and living conditions for seafarers on ships entering a port of the Member concerned meet the requirements of this Convention (including seafarers rights). Regulation 5.3 Labour-supplying responsibilities Purpose: To ensure that each Member implements its responsibilities under this Convention as pertaining to seafarer recruitment and placement and the social protection of its seafarers

1. Without prejudice to the principle of each Members responsibility for the working and living conditions of seafarers on ships that fly its flag, the Member also has a responsibility to ensure the implementation of the requirements of this Convention regarding the recruitment and placement of seafarers as well as the social security protection of seafarers that are its nationals or are resident or are otherwise domiciled in its territory, to the extent that such responsibility is provided for in this Convention. 2. Each Member shall establish an effective inspection and monitoring system for enforcing its labour-supplying responsibilities under this Convention.