Nautilus International applauded the enforcement of the ‘Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) for fishing’ for providing decent working conditions for the fishing industry and protecting those working in the sector.
Specifically, the ILO 188 entitles all workers in the industry to written terms and conditions of employment, decent accommodation and food, medical care, regulated working time, repatriation, social protection and health and safety on board. Also, the convention sets minimum standards concerning the recruitment and placement and mandatory certificate of medical fitness to work onboard a fishing vessel.
Consequently, Nautilus welcomes UK’s decision on ratifying this Convention, with Nautilus International director of legal services Charles Boyle commenting that
Fishing vessels were excluded from the Maritime Labour Convention, and ILO Convention 188 was intended to provide a similar level of protection specifically for workers on fishing vessels.
It is reported that the UK was the 14th state to ratify the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Work in Fishing Convention (ILO 188) a year ago. The UK legislation implementing the Convention came into force on 11 January 2020.
The UK’s first report on the Convention is due 1 September 2021.
