Videos

  1. A fair future for seafarers key to shipping’s recovery

    25 June 2021

    Hundreds of thousands of seafarers are still unable to join and leave their vessels due to restrictions put in place to contain COVID-19. It is critical to respect the rights of seafarers, as set out in maritime law, and ensure seafarers have a fair and sustainable future. #FairFuture4Seafarers

  2. To protect the oceans, we must promote decent work

    08 June 2021

    Millions of people depend directly on the sea for their livelihoods and hundreds of millions more rely on them for food. Exploitation and poor standards, whether environmental or labour, pose a threat both to the sustainability of the oceans and the wellbeing of humanity.

  3. 75 years of seafarers’ minimum wage setting

    26 April 2021

    It’s 75 years since the first minimum monthly wage for seafarers was set – the only sector with an international minimum wage. The figure is regularly updated by the ILO’s Joint Maritime Commission (JMC), established in 1920, and composed of representatives of Shipowners and Seafarers. The JMC meets 26-27 April to discuss an update to the current amount.

  4. End the plight of stranded seafarers

    24 September 2020

    COVID-19 containment measures, travel restrictions and border closures, continue to make it increasingly difficult for ship operators worldwide to conduct required crew changes. The ILO, shipowners’ and seafarers’ organizations and UN bodies call to end the plight of seafarers and to fully respect seafarers’ rights.

  5. The ILO since 1919: Helping seafarers find fair and decent work

    28 September 2018

    Since 1919, the International Labour Organization has built a system of international labour standards, including the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, which established minimum working and living standards for all seafarers.

  6. Fighting bullying and harassment at sea

    06 June 2016

    Delegates at the 105th International Labour Conference voted to approve an amendment to the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 to include guidance on preventing bullying and harassment among seafarers. The ILO's Pete Forster talks to the guidance's creators.

  7. A day in a life at sea

    20 August 2014

    The ILO marks a year since the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 entered into force worldwide on August 20, 2013. The MLC, 2006 provides comprehensive protection at work for seafarers. ILO TV travelled on board a container vessel to hear first-hand from seafarers what it's like to spend months at sea and what impact the convention has on their work.

  8. Abandoned, but not alone

    07 April 2014

    ILO News visits the crew of the B Ladybug, who have been stranded off the coast of Malta for almost a year after their ship owner went bankrupt. The provision of financial security for abandoned seafarers and the issue of compensation are two key topics under discussion this week at the ILO.

  9. Abandoned seafarers top of agenda at maritime meeting

    07 March 2014

    More than 300 maritime representatives from all regions of the world are discussing amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention to cover the consequences of abandonment, and contractual claims for death, injury or disability due to occupational illness or hazard.

  10. Protecting seafarer rights and promoting employment of women seafarers

    20 August 2013

    The Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 goes into force on 20 August 2013. Timely payment of wages, work/rest hours and training are key components of protecting seafarers' rights under the convention, says Captain Lee Chee Seong, Managing Director of Neptune Ship Management Services. He also sees the future of seafaring as including more women; women like Second Officer Milli and Second Officer Farhane who discuss their ambitions to become a ship's captain.

  11. Statement from ILO Director-General Guy Ryder on the coming into force of the Maritime Labour Convention

    20 August 2013

    ILO Director-General Guy Ryder marks the coming into force of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006. This historic convention provides protection for the world's 1.5 million seafarers under a clear and consolidated set of international labour standards. (Closed captions available)

  12. Statement from ILO's Director of the Department of Labour Standards, Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, on the coming into force of the MLC 2006

    20 August 2013

    ILO's Director of the Department of Labour Standards, Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, makes a statement on the coming-into-force of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006. The MLC, 2006 was adopted by government, employer and worker representatives at a special ILO International Labour Conference in February 2006 and provides a clear and comprehensive set of international standards for the shipping sector, the world's first genuinely global industry. (Closed captions available)

  13. Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 - A Passport to Decent Work

    20 August 2013

    The ILO's Maritime Labour Convention, which enters into force worldwide August 20, 2013, provides for the first time comprehensive protection at work for seafarers, while also promoting conditions of fair competition for shipowners.

  14. Seafarers' "Bill of Rights" extends to cruise ships too

    15 August 2013

    The ILO's Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, which comes into effect as international law on August 20, 2013 does not just cover the crews of merchant ships but also anyone working on cruise ships, from machine operators to hotel staff. (Closed captions available)

  15. Full steam ahead for the Maritime Labour Convention

    15 August 2013

    The ILO's Maritime Labour Convention, which enters into force worldwide August 20, 2013, provides for the first time comprehensive protection at work for seafarers, while also promoting conditions of fair competition for shipowners. (Closed captions available)

  16. Getting On Board with the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006

    07 April 2011

    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.

  17. Interview with Raymond Torres, lead author of the World of Work report 2010

    24 September 2010

    ILO TV interviews Raymond Torres, Director of the International Institute for Labour Studies about the World of Work report 2010. The new report by the research arm of the International Labour Organization (ILO) says a long “labour market recession” is worsening the social outlook in many countries.

  18. Moving Forward with the Maritime Labour Convention

    24 September 2010

    The Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 is expected to come into force in 2011 or early 2012. ILO TV interviews three members of the Preparatory Tripartite Maritime Labour Convention Committee: Dave Heindel of the Seafarers’ International Union of North America; Arthur Bowring of the Hong Kong Shipowners’ Association; and Haakon Storhaug, Senior Adviser at the Norwegian Maritime Directorate.