Tag: seafarer’s rights

MPA Singapore- Circular 18/2012 Singapore ratified the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC) which willcome into force internationally on 20 August 2013. The MLC, an instrument of the International Labour Organisation, establishes international requirements for decent conditions of work for seafarersMPA Singapore Circular No 18/2012 provides the provisional requirements for the Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance (DMLC) Part 1 so that shipowners, ship managers, operators and masters and crew of Singapore-registered (SRS) ships can make early preparations to comply with and implement the MLC.Scope of Application and CertificationThe MLC applies to all SRS ships ordinarily engaged in commercial activities.SRS ships of 500 gross tonnage and above which are engaged in internationalvoyages shall attain a DMLC and a Maritime Labour Certificate.The DMLC consists of two parts. The DMLC Part I is to be prepared andissued by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and contains thenational requirements and applicable exemptions. The DMLC Part II is to beprepared by the shipowner and contains the measures to ensure compliance with DMLC Part I.A Maritime Labour Certificate shall be issued to a ship after the Recognised Organisation (RO) has verified, via inspection, that the ship (including the DMLC Part II) is in compliance with ...

Shipping sector wages lure youth

InterManager Says MLC Ratification Will Help Promote a Career at Sea

Payment delayed and their wages are not enough for them to make ends meet Living on the ill-fated vessels held by Vinalines are the crewmen who lead tough lives since their wages are not enough for them to make ends meet.The US$19.2-million Song Gianh vessel that has been docked in the MAR2 area on the Saigon River for four years has become known by locals and crew members as "Song Gianh pagoda," as there is a Vietnamese proverb that goes "as desolated as Ba Danh pagoda."All of the crew members say they are totally fed up with the boring life on the almost-dead ship, which is always full of mosquitoes even during the day.Crewmen have taken turns living on and taking care of the ship for a few years, they said.Song Gianh ship. Photo: Tuoi TreThere are currently five men on the vessel, including a captain, a vice-captain, and three crewmen."Our job is to protect the ship from robbers and harsh weather, and take care of the anchor," said captain Doan Ngoc Bach, who has been taking the helm of many huge vessels since 1976.Despite his experience, Bach still had no choice but to accept to stand still on Song ...

UK Chamber of Shipping focus on sustainable employment Recent media reports indicating that seafarers were working on P&O cruise ships for 75p per hour paint a very dark picture of the UK shipping industry, with accusations of poverty pay and slave conditions following closely behind.However, the headline figure of 75p per hour is wholly misleading. By combining a guaranteed earnings level with the opportunity to earn more money from tips, it is usual for ships' crew members providing services to passengers to take home upwards of $1,000 per month and, frequently, even larger sums. The tipping system is potentially open to criticism because it does not provide guarantees of earnings. However, experience shows that it works extremely well; by encouraging waiters on board to provide the best possible service, thereby increasing customer satisfaction and the likelihood they will attract repeat bookings, the crew members themselves are able to maximise their income from each voyage.When one adds the fact that these crew members are flown from their homes to the place where they join the ship and back home afterwards at the expense of the company - and are provided free accommodation and food whilst on board - the basic wage ...

Two more countries, Togo and Tuvalu, ratified MLC and Sweden is also poised to sign it Further encouraging steps towards the global adoption of a 'bill of rights' for seafarers, have been welcomed by Nautilus International, even though the UK still lags behind.Two more countries, Togo and Tuvalu, ratified the Maritime Labour Convention recently, and Sweden is also poised to sign, which will bring the total to 26. This means only four more countries need to sign for the convention to come into effect, as the tonnage threshold has already been met, says the Union's general secretary, Mark Dickinson.Togo, a narrow strip of land on Africa's west coast, is the latest to sign up in March. The Polynesian island of Tuvalu in the Pacific Ocean signed in February, and Sweden's parliament has already approved plans to ratify the International Labour Organisation's key maritime convention by the end of March 2012.Mr Dickinson said it was disappointing the UK was 'still lagging behind primarily because of political prevarication,' but encouraging news for seafarers that the convention was a step closer to making threshold entry.The convention will come into force 12 months after the date on which 30 ILO member states with a ...

Women make up only an estimated 2% of the world's maritime workforce It's still rare to find women workers at sea but, largely thanks to trade unions, more women are confronting prejudice and becoming valuable members of ships' crew.Why are low numbers of women at sea a problem?Women make up only an estimated 2% of the world's maritime workforce. Women seafarers work mainly in the cruise and ferries sector, often for Flags of Convenience (FOC) vessels. These are among the worst paid and least protected of jobs at sea. Women also tend to be younger, and fewer are officers than their male crew mates.Their low number means that women can be subject to discrimination and harassment. The maritime unions are alert to these dangers and strive to protect the interests of women members - who now number about 23,000 worldwide.What sorts of discrimination do women seafarers face?Women can face discrimination even getting into seafaring work. In some countries, for example, maritime education and training institutions are not allowed to recruit women to nautical courses. Women tend to enrol on navigation rather than engineering courses. Even once trained, they may have to face prejudice from ship owners who won't employ women.Once ...

Despite STCW 2010 - there is a four- year transition period Despite the activation of the 2010 Manila Amendments to the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) this January, Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) officer-in-charge, board of marine engineer Mike Marasigan announced that seafarers holding unexpired certificate of competencies are generally exempt from revalidation procedures."The 2010 Manila Amendments to the SCTW took effect last Jan. 1 but we must all remember that this clause has a four- year transition period which will end this coming Dec. 31, 2016. This means that seafarers holding unexpired certificates of competency (good until 2014 or 2015) have no need to undergo revalidation procedures mandated by the 2010 Manila Amendments. They would to wait until their certificates have reached its expiration point before undergoing revalidation," Marasigan emphasized.But he pointed out that senior officers with the rank of master mariners, chief mates, second engineers, are not covered by this rule as they are required to complete their management level courses (MLCs) before undergoing revalidation of their certificate of competencies.The PRC official attributes this to the fact that Filipino seafarers, as attested by the recent European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) findings, are deficient in their management level ...

MLC updates 67 existing ILO Conventions - employment, hours of work, food and catering, medical care The Australian Shipowners Association (ASA) welcomes the ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) that will provide protection of working conditions for crews working anywhere in the world.The MLC consolidates and updates 67 existing ILO Conventions and recommendations on maritime issues covering issues such as conditions of employment, hours of work, food and catering, medical care and accommodation at sea."This important convention has the ability to provide basic living and working conditions and will assist in providing a safe working environment for all seafarers and a level playing field for all shipowners" said ASA's Executive Director, Ms Teresa Hatch.ASA has been working both at the International Labour Organisation and with the Australian Government and the unions to progress the ratification by Australia of this convention and its implementation domestically. The passing by the Senate of amendments to the Navigation Act 1912 ensuring that Australian legislation complies with the MLC represents the last significant step before official ratification."ASA has been pleased with the pragmatic approach adopted by the Australian Government to the ratification of this international convention and its implementation into Australian domestic law." said ...

ILO MLC 2006 - rights and protection for more than 1.2 million seafarers The ILO's Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006 provides comprehensive rights and protection at work for the world's more than 1.2 million seafarers. The Convention aims to achieve both decent work for seafarers and secure economic interests in fair competition for ship-owners.