Seafarers work almost double the hours of ILO standard

A study published by the World Maritime University reveals that seafarers face excessive working hours and insufficient rest, leading to high levels of fatigue.

According to the “Quantifying an inconvenient truth : revisiting a culture of adjustment on work/rest hours” report, research consistently highlights that seafarers endure longer working hours compared to their onshore counterparts. As recent surveys show, only 3.3% of seafarers’ weekly working hours align with the global average of 43 hours.

Addressing the disparity in seafarers’ working hours

The disparity in working hours for seafarers highlights the need to extend the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) General Survey on working-time instruments to include maritime workers. This would help align seafarers’ working hours with global labor standards, addressing the imbalance that has persisted for far too long.

Key findings:

Fatigue perception: Seafarers identify fatigue as a significant challenge to their safety, health, and well-being. They express the view that the existing regulatory framework is ineffective in alleviating fatigue at sea.
Daily work, rest, and sleep hours: Seafarers report, on average, working 11.5 hours, resting 10.8 hours, and sleeping 7.0 hours daily. Notably, 28.1% acknowledge resting less than 10 hours, thus violating rest hours standards.
Weekly work hours: Seafarers report working an average of 74.9 hours per week, significantly higher than the global average of 43 hours per week identified by the International Labour Organization (ILO) 2018 General Survey. This highlights a notable disparity between seafaring and other sectors.
Weekly day off: Seafarers work non-stop, with 78.3% reporting they do not get one full day off during their entire contract period, contradicting the intention of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006) Standard A2.3 # paragraph 3.
Non-compliance with work/rest limits: A significant 88.3% of seafarers admit to exceeding work/rest hour limits at least once a month. Alarmingly, 16.5% exceed the limits more than ten times a month.
Recordkeeping adjustment: Only 31.6% of seafarers admit to never adjusting their records.
Reasons for adjustment: The main reasons for adjustment are to avoid non-conformities during inspections (80.2%), avoid problems with the company (75.0%), and gain financial benefits (31.1%).
Response to non-compliance: Only 50.3% of seafarers report non-compliance to their company. Companies reportedly question or neglect non-compliance reports in most cases, and in only 22.4% of cases do companies respond by providing additional crewing.
Workload challenges: For 87.6% of seafarers, there is an imbalance between work demand and crewing levels.

The first ILO Convention in 1919 set the 8-hour workday and 48-hour workweek as standards, considered the limit beyond which regular work becomes unhealthy. Despite ample evidence of the harmful effects of long working hours, current maritime regulations permit workweeks of up to 91 or even 98 hours, far exceeding what is considered safe. This disregard for seafarers’ human limitations underscores the need for science-based revisions to the regulatory frameworks governing their working hours.

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Regulatory flexibility and its consequences

Survey data reveals that these working time limits are often ignored, with seafarers commonly working 74.9 hours a week. Many flag States permit up to 91 hours of work per week, normalizing excessive working hours in the industry. This flexibility in regulations undermines the original intent of establishing reasonable working hours and jeopardizes seafarers’ well-being.

Widespread non-compliance and falsified records

Enforcement of these regulations remains a major issue. Many seafarers falsify records to avoid penalties, aided by software that allows manipulation of work logs. As former MAIB Chief Inspector Stephen Meyer remarked, it is deeply concerning that seafarers feel the need to falsify timesheets to show a 98-hour workweek. According to the report, this widespread non-compliance undermines the effectiveness of regulations meant to protect workers and highlights the urgent need for reform in the maritime sector.

The impact of adjustments on safety and compliance

Adjustments undermine the intended benefits of regulations, violating core principles of regulatory compliance and fatigue avoidance, and hindering effective enforcement. They obscure the reality of excessive working hours, facilitate chronic non-compliance, and compromise seafarers’ health and shipping safety.

The need for a cultural shift in the industry

Addressing adjustments is crucial for enhancing ship safety and improving seafarers’ occupational safety, health, and well-being. Achieving this requires a cultural shift, which is not common. Companies often respond inadequately to non-compliance reports, frustrating seafarers and discouraging further reporting. Additionally, adjustments can have severe repercussions for companies, especially if fatigued seafarers operate ships, risking loss of liability exemptions.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE