MLC 2006 and Your Rights as a Seafarer

What is the MLC

The Maritime Labour Convention 2006, often called the seafarers' bill of rights, is an ILO convention that sets minimum requirements for working and living conditions on commercial vessels. It has been ratified by over 100 countries covering more than 90% of global shipping tonnage.

The MLC consolidates and updates decades of earlier maritime labour conventions into a single, comprehensive framework. If you work on a commercial vessel flagged to a ratifying state, the MLC applies to you.

Employment agreements

Every seafarer must have a written employment agreement that clearly states the terms and conditions of employment. The agreement must be signed by both the seafarer and the shipowner or their representative before the seafarer joins the vessel.

The agreement must specify wages, hours of work and rest, leave entitlements, repatriation terms, health and social security coverage, and the conditions under which the agreement can be terminated.

You have the right to review and seek advice on the agreement before signing. A copy must be available to you onboard at all times.

Hours of work and rest

The MLC sets strict limits on working hours to prevent fatigue. The standard is a maximum of 14 hours in any 24-hour period and 72 hours in any 7-day period. Alternatively, minimum rest hours must be at least 10 hours in any 24-hour period and 77 hours in any 7-day period.

Rest periods may be divided into no more than two periods, one of which must be at least 6 hours long. The interval between consecutive rest periods must not exceed 14 hours.

These limits exist because fatigue is a leading contributor to maritime accidents. If your vessel's watch schedule consistently violates these limits, you have the right to report it.

Health and medical care

Shipowners must provide seafarers with health protection and medical care as comparable as possible to that available to workers ashore. This includes access to medical treatment, dental care, and essential medicines.

Vessels must carry medical supplies appropriate to the trading area and crew size. At least one crew member must be qualified to provide medical first aid. On vessels carrying 100 or more persons on international voyages, a qualified medical doctor must be carried.

Medical fitness certificates are required before joining a vessel. The cost of medical examinations must be borne by the shipowner, not the seafarer.

Repatriation rights

You have the right to be repatriated at the shipowner's expense when your employment agreement expires, when the agreement is terminated by the shipowner, or when you are no longer able to carry out your duties due to illness or injury.

Repatriation includes transportation to your home country, accommodation and food during transit, and maintenance until you arrive at your destination. The shipowner cannot require you to pay for repatriation upfront.

Complaint procedures

The MLC requires vessels to have onboard complaint procedures that allow seafarers to raise grievances about working conditions, wages, or any other matter covered by the Convention.

If onboard resolution fails, you can file complaints with the port state control authority of any port where the vessel calls. Port state control officers are required to investigate MLC-related complaints and can detain vessels that are found to be non-compliant.