Stella Maris UK has called for urgent protections to stop seafarers being forced to choose between shore leave and adequate rest.
As the International Labour Organization (ILO) meets to consider changes to the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) in 7-11 April, Stella Maris UK has called for urgent protections to stop seafarers being forced to choose between shore leave and adequate rest.
As stated, recent International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) report data align with what Stella Maris chaplains and ship visitors have witnessed, as shore leave is becoming harder to access, and many seafarers are sacrificing it out of necessity.
“This should never be a choice,” said Tim Hill, CEO, Stella Maris UK. “But for many crew, it’s an unacceptable reality. We regularly meet seafarers who are either denied shore leave on vague ‘operational’ grounds, or are too exhausted to go ashore even when permitted.”
Furthermore, according to Stella Maris, in one case, a crew was told not to leave the ship as they were needed to receive provisions, despite already working long hours. In another, a crew on a detained vessel was denied shore leave for two weeks and told to keep working until repairs were complete.
Elsewhere, crews showed signs of severe fatigue and deteriorating mental health. One seafarer resigned due to stress, while others were considering breaking their contracts just to get home.
There are many ship operators who do the right thing and put crew welfare first. But the erosion of shore leave and disregard for meaningful rest are having a clear and dangerous impact on crew wellbeing. Without stronger safeguards and consistent enforcement, unsafe working conditions risk becoming the norm. Adequate rest and access to shore leave must be treated as operational essentials, not optional extras.
…said Hill.
Stella Maris UK is calling on the ILO to strengthen protections and tighten enforcement to ensure that seafarers don’t have to choose between rest and their right to shore leave.
