# International Seafarers Labour Convention



## Erimus (Feb 20, 2012)

Lloyds Loading List advises:-


The International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Maritime Labour Convention, a charter setting out the labour rights of the world’s seafarers, has now been ratified by 30 countries, meaning it will come into effect in a year’s time. 

The convention was adopted unanimously in 2006, but there were two requirements still to be met before it could come into force. Ratification by Russia and the Philippines fulfills the requirement that at least 30 ILO member countries ratify the convention. 

The other requirement, that ratifying countries represent 33% of the world’s gross shipping tonnage, was met in 2009.

“This is great news for the world’s more than 1.2 million seafarers,” said ILO Director General Juan Somavia. 

“It was a dream of the ILO as early as 1920, and I pay tribute to the international maritime community for having made it a reality.”

The 30 countries represent nearly 60% of international shipping tonnage. 

“This is a remarkable achievement,” added Somavia. “Not only are these first 30 ratifications drawn from almost every region of the world, but the tonnage level is nearly double the required amount.” 

Maritime Labour Convention 2006 establishes minimum requirements for almost all aspects of working conditions for seafarers, including conditions of employment, hours of work and rest, accommodation, recreational facilities, food and catering, health protection, medical care, welfare and social security protection. 

Each state is tasked with ensuring that ships flying its flag meet the “decent work” requirements set out in the convention.

MLC certification will also include provision for inspectionsof ships to be carried out by other countries. There is also a mechanism to record seafarers’ complaints.


geoff


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## Pat Thompson (Jan 25, 2006)

Greetings,

The ILO, a total and utter waste of rations who appear to have focused on seafaring and seafarers to justify their otherwise pointless and, no doubt, costly existence. I cannot speak for now, but so far as I could see, when I was arguing with them (up until around the mid 80's) with the exception of a few bizarre conventions on the lines of The Provision of Sun Block to Norwegian Aardvark Sexers Operating in Sub Saharan Africa, the vast majority of their output was related to matters nautical. It really is time that this, no doubt, expensive and self justifying international QUANGO was thrown in the rubbish skip where IMHO it truly belongs.

Ah! That's better,


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## Erimus (Feb 20, 2012)

..........as it is part of the United Nations little chance of it being disbanded.......

geoff


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## Pat Thompson (Jan 25, 2006)

Greetings,

A chap can dream. Mind I'll buy the beer when they do see some sense and send the whole godforsaken organisation to Tommy Pounds.

You don't have to be a cynic to figure out that the number of ships is inversely proportional to the number of bureaucrats
wanting a slice of them.


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## Mad Landsman (Dec 1, 2005)

I've just had a quick look at a couple of Websites to try and make some sense of this in my mind, and I am now thoroughly confused.

The ILO website, on the pages referring to the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, state that there are 29 Countries which have so far ratified the convention - So adding Russia and the Philippines would make 31.
The list includes such notable seafaring nations as Switzerland and Luxembourg.

The list of Countries which have not yet ratified includes Japan, Germany, Greece, China and the USA - Which I would guess account for a huge proportion of the World's shipping tonnage. 

Presumably their figures are entirely accurate, but just defy logic.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Mad Landsman said:


> The list of Countries which have not yet ratified includes Japan, Germany, Greece, China and the USA - Which I would guess account for a huge proportion of the World's shipping tonnage.


The important thing is the states where the ships are registered, not the states where the ownership resides. So although Greeks or American companies may own the ships, the tonnage is registered in Panama, Liberia, UK or some other FOC. As the ILO press release makes clear, the 30 states that have ratified the treaty represent 60% of the world's tonnage. So the registration of the remaining 40% of world tonnage is spread across the other 155 member countries (including the five countries that you quote).

So you can see why advances in the maritime world via such UN organisations as IMO can progress only very slowly. All of the member countries are equal and have just a single vote, even if they have no ships. Only a handful have most of the ships but they can offer only a handful of votes when decision time comes. The vast majority (150+) of the votes are held by members with few or no ships registered under their flag. An odd democracy.


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## Mad Landsman (Dec 1, 2005)

Ah yes! I have revisited the website and looked closer - It appears that many of the FOC States were very quick to ratify the convention, Liberia being one of the first in June 2006.

I wonder what is really in it for them, or is that too cynical?


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## willincity (Jul 11, 2007)

Pat Thompson said:


> Greetings,
> The ILO, a total and utter waste of rations who appear to have focused on seafaring and seafarers to justify their otherwise pointless and, no doubt, costly existence.* I cannot speak for now*, ,


I can, and there is no change, I was at the ILO in Geneva 3 years ago, what most of us could do in 3 hours around a table took 4 days with these people.
The “diplomats” than run the show are predominately from African States and in their late fifties, their chuffer driven cars apparently also come with an elegant young blonde dressed in low cut top, split skirt and high heels
Work starts at 10:30, 2 hours for lunch, reconvene at 14:30 out of the front door by 16:30, Oh and the blonde lady has many shopping bags laid on the back seat.
4 days I ask you at €300 / night plus €20 for breakfast


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