Shipping: Standards & rights at work

Since 1920, the International Labour Conference has adopted over 60 maritime labour standards. Seafarers standards cover a multitude of questions including minimum age of entry to employment, recruitment and placement, medical examination, articles of agreement, repatriation, holidays with pay, social security, hours of work and rest periods, crew accommodation, identity documents, occupational safety and health, welfare at sea and in ports, continuity of employment, vocational training and certificates of competency. This international seafarers' "code" directly or indirectly influences both the terms of collective agreements and national maritime labour legislation. An important maritime labour instrument is the Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards) Convention,1976 (No. 147) which sets out the minimum internationally acceptable standards for living and working conditions on board ships.

In 2001, the International Labour Office launched a major consolidation of more than 60 maritime labour instruments into a single instrument in line with recommendations made by the ILO Joint Maritime Commission in January 2001 (The Geneva Accord) and approved by the ILO Governing Body at its 280th Session (March 2001). The objective of the consolidation was to bring the system of protection contained in existing standards closer to the workers concerned, in a form that was consistent with this rapidly developing, globalized sector and to improve the applicability of the system so that shipowners and governments interested in providing decent conditions of work do not have to bear an unequal burden in ensuring such protection. The aim of the consolidation was for greater consistency and clarity, more rapid adaptability and general applicability. On 23 February 2006, the 94th International Labour Conference (Maritime) adopted the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006.

Maritime Labour Standards

1. Conventions and recommendations (ILOLEX database)

I. International labour standards for seafarers

General

• R9 National Seamen's Codes Recommendation, 1920.
• R107 Seafarers' Engagement (Foreign Vessels) Recommendation, 1958.
• R108 Social Conditions and Safety (Seafarers) Recommendation, 1958.
• R139 Employment of Seafarers (Technical Developments) Recommendation, 1970.
• C145 Continuity of Employment (Seafarers) Convention, 1976. Ratifications.
• R154 Continuity of Employment (Seafarers) Recommendation, 1976.
• C147 Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1976. Ratifications.
• C185 Seafarers' Identity Documents Convention (Revised), 2003, Convention, 2003. Ratifications.
• P147 Protocol to the Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1976.
• R155 Merchant Shipping (Improvement of Standards) Recommendation, 1976.

Training & entry into employment

• C9 Placing of Seamen Convention, 1920. Ratifications.
• C179 Recruitment and Placement of Seafarers Convention, 1996. Ratifications.
• R186 Recruitment and Placement of Seafarers Recommendation, 1996.
• C22 Seamen's Articles of Agreement Convention, 1926. Ratifications.
• C108 Seafarers' Identity Documents Convention, 1958. Ratifications.
• R137 Vocational Training (Seafarers) Recommendation, 1970.

Conditions for admission to employment

• C7 Minimum Age (Sea) Convention, 1920. Ratifications.
• C58 Minimum Age (Sea) Convention (Revised), 1936. Ratifications.
• C16 Medical Examination of Young Persons (Sea) Convention, 1921. Ratifications.
• C73 Medical Examination (Seafarers) Convention, 1946. Ratifications.

Certificates of competency

• C53 Officers' Competency Certificates Convention, 1936. Ratifications.
• C69 Certification of Ships' Cooks Convention 1946. Ratifications.
• C74 Certification of Able Seamen Convention, 1946. Ratifications.

General conditions of employment

• C180 Seafarers' Hours of Work and the Manning of Ships Convention, 1996. Ratifications.
• R187 Seafarers' Wages, Hours of Work and the Manning of Ships Recommendation, 1996.
• C91 (Shelved) Paid Vacations (Seafarers) Convention (Revised), 1949. Ratifications.
• C146 Seafarers' Annual Leave with Pay Convention, 1976. Ratifications.
• C23 Repatriation of Seamen Convention, 1926. Ratifications.
• R27 Repatriation (Ship Masters and Apprentices) Recommendation, 1926.
• C166 Repatriation of Seafarers Convention (Revised), 1987. Ratifications.
• R174 Repatriation of Seafarers Recommendation, 1987.
• R153 Protection of Young Seafarers Recommendation, 1976.

Safety, health & welfare

• C68 Food and Catering (Ships' Crews) Convention, 1946. Ratifications.
• R78 Bedding, Mess Utensils and Miscellaneous Provisions (Ships' Crews) Recommendation, 1946.
• C92 Accommodation of Crews Convention (Revised), 1949. Ratifications.
• C133 Accommodation of Crews (Supplementary Provisions) Convention, 1970. Ratifications.
• R140 Crew Accommodation (Air Conditioning) Recommendation, 1970.
• R141 Crew Accommodation (Noise Control) Recommendation, 1970.
• C134 Prevention of Accidents (Seafarers) Convention, 1970. Ratifications.
• R142 Prevention of Accidents (Seafarers) Recommendation, 1970.
• R48 Seamen's Welfare in Ports Recommendation, 1936.
• R138 Seafarers' Welfare Recommendation, 1970.
• C163 Seafarers' Welfare Convention, 1987. Ratifications.
• R173 Seafarers' Welfare Recommendation, 1987.
• C164 Health Protection and Medical Care (Seafarers) Convention, 1987. Ratifications.
• R105 Ships' Medicine Chests Recommendation, 1958.
• R106 Medical Advice at Sea Recommendation, 1958.

Labour inspection

• C178 Labour Inspection (Seafarers) Convention, 1996. Ratifications.
• R185 Labour Inspection (Seafarers) Recommendation, 1996.

Social security

• C8 Unemployment Indemnity (Shipwreck) Convention, 1920. Ratifications.
• R10 Unemployment Insurance (Seamen) Recommendation, 1920.
• C55 Shipowners' Liability (Sick and Injured Seamen) Convention, 1936. Ratifications.
• C56 Sickness Insurance (Sea) Convention, 1936. Ratifications.
• C165 Social Security (Seafarers) Convention (Revised), 1987. Ratifications.
• C71 Seafarers' Pensions Convention, 1946. Ratifications

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II. International labour standards relating to fishing, dock work and inland navigation

Fishing

• R7 Hours of Work (Fishing) Recommendation, 1920.
• C112 Minimum Age (Fishermen) Convention, 1959. Ratifications.
• C113 Medical Examination (Fishermen) Convention, 1959. Ratifications.
• C114 Fishermen's Articles of Agreement Convention, 1959. Ratifications.
• C125 Fishermen's Competency Certificates Convention, 1966. Ratifications.
• C126 Accommodation of Crews (Fishermen) Convention, 1966. Ratifications.
• R126 Vocational Training (Fishermen) Recommendation, 1966.

Dock work

• C137 Dock Work Convention, 1973. Ratifications.
• R145 Dock Work Recommendation, 1973.
• C152 Occupational Safety and Health (Dock Work) Convention, 1979. Ratifications.
• R160 Occupational Safety and Health (Dock Work) Recommendation, 1979.

Inland navigation

• R8 Hours of Work (Inland Navigation) Recommendation, 1920.

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III. International labour standards applying to all workers including seafarers

• C87 Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948. Ratifications.
• C98 Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949. Ratifications.
• C130 Medical Care and Sickness Benefits Convention, 1969. Ratifications.
• C138 Minimum Age Convention, 1973. Ratifications.

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2. National legislation (NATLEX database)

• National legislation dealing with fishers.
• National legislation dealing with dockworkers.
• National legislation dealing with seafarers.