Tag: ILO

Since 1919, the International Labour Organization has built a system of international labour standards, including the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, which established minimum working and living standards for all seafarers.  ILO in 2019 is celebrating 100 years of working in favour of social justice and working rights. 

Thailand is set become the first country in Asia to ratify the Work in Fishing Convention C188, which sets basic standards of decent work in the fishing industry. On 29 November, Thailand’s National Legislative Assembly approved proposal to proceed with the ratification of ILO Work in Fishing Convention No. 188, 2007 (C188).

The Mission to Seafarers signed an agreement with the Panama Maritime Authority to provide seafarer welfare services in Panama. The agreement will enable the Mission to Seafarers to create welfare services at all major Panamanian ports, including the Panama Canal. 

A Regional Meeting of Asia’s leading seafaring nations focused on the situation that many seafarers face in case of a maritime accident. As a result, the nations promised to advance effective implementation of the IMO and International Labor Organization (ILO) agreed Guidelines on the Fair Treatment of Seafarers. The meeting took place in Manila on November 13.

About 24 million new jobs will be created globally by 2030 if the right policies to promote a greener economy are put in place, according to a new ILO report, noting that any action to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius will result in sufficient job creation to more than offset job losses of 6 million elsewhere. 

According to ILO, about 40.3 million people at any given time globally are in modern slavery, including 24.9 million in forced labour. Shipping makes no exemption with several such cases highlighted over the recent years. Norton Rose law firm provides an insight on the aspects of modern slavery in the maritime.

The ratification of ILO’s Work in Fishing Convention (C188) would be a major step forward. The Convention sets minimum labor standards to improve the safety, health and medical care for workers on board fishing vessels, as well as ensuring they have the protection of a written work agreement and the same social security protections as national workers.

The first detention of a fishing vessel under the provisions of the International Labour Organization’s Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No. 188) has taken place in late June, involving a foreign 380 GT vessel in Cape Town, South Africa, following complaints by the crew about working conditions, ILO informed.

Following two deadly incidents, involving inland navigation vessels in Russia and Indonesia and claiming lives of nearly 200 people earlier this month, the ITF expressed its deep concern regarding the industry's procedural and safety compliance, noting that these accidents could have been prevented.

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr. Dakuku Peterside welcomed member states of the International Labour Organisation, Shipowners and representatives of seafarers, acknowledging the importance of seafarers’ welfare in the MLC 2006 amendments.