UK issues notice on risks for seafarers on non-MLC ratified ships

Eda Zenic -

The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency issued the amended notice MGN 476 (M) to inform seafarers about the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC) and the differences in protections between ships flying flags of states that have ratified the MLC and those that have not.

The Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC) ensures various protections and standards for seafarers. If a ship's flag state has not ratified the MLC, seafarers may face significant risks and lack protections in several areas:

  1. Recruitment and Placement: Seafarers may be charged for recruitment services. Employment agreements may lack transparency and safeguards, and there is no requirement to verify qualifications, impacting safety.
  2. Seafarer Employment Agreement (SEA): SEAs may not be clear or accessible for review. Important terms like health, social security provisions, and repatriation rights may be missing.
  3. Wages: There is no assurance of regular, timely wage payments, and potential high charges for transmitting earnings to families.
  4. Hours of Work and Rest: Seafarers face the risk of excessive working hours leading to fatigue and safety issues, with a lack of monitoring and record-keeping for work hours and rest periods.
  5. Repatriation: Seafarers are not guaranteed repatriation at the shipowner's expense if employment ends abroad.
  6. Compensation for Injury or Loss: There is no entitlement to compensation for injury, loss, or unemployment due to ship loss or foundering.
  7. Crew Accommodation: Living conditions may be substandard, including smaller rooms, poor heating, ventilation, and sanitation.
  8. Food and Drink: Seafarers may receive inadequate, unhygienically prepared food and drinking water.
  9. Medical Care: There is limited or no access to prompt, adequate medical care onboard and ashore.
  10. Shipowner Liability for Sickness, Injury, or Death: Shipowners are not obligated to cover medical care, treatment costs, or wages during recovery or until repatriation.
  11. Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance (DMLC): There is a lack of enforced health and safety standards and accident prevention measures.
  12. Seafarer Complaints: Effective onboard and onshore complaint procedures are absent, increasing the risk of victimization for filing complaints.
  13. Seafarer Abandonment: Seafarers have no access to financial security for maintenance, repatriation, or unpaid wages in case of abandonment.
  14. Seafarers Affected by Piracy or Armed Robbery: There is no guarantee of continued wage payment if held captive due to piracy or armed robbery.

This notice was published on 5 July 2024.

All regulations can be found at legislation.gov.uk