ILO body adopts new minimum monthly wage for seafarers

On February 28, the Subcommittee on Wages of Seafarers of the Joint Maritime Commission (JMC) of the International Labour Organization agreed on a Resolution raising the minimum monthly basic wage figure for able seafarers from US$585 to US$592, as of 1 January 2015 and US$614, as of 1 January 2016.

28 February 2014

Content also available in: русский
The mechanism for setting the minimum monthly wage for able seafarers is the only one in the ILO for setting the basic wage for any industry.

The Governing Body of the International Labour Office, at its 317th Session (March 2013), decided to convene a meeting of the Subcommittee on Wages of Seafarers of the Joint Maritime Commission in 2014 to update the ILO minimum basic wage of able seafarers.

The minimum monthly basic wage figure for able seafarers has most recently been included in the ILO’s Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006).

The Convention, known as the “seafarers’ bill of rights”, entered into force on 20 August 2013, and has been ratified by 56 ILO member States representing over 80 per cent of world shipping tonnage.

The Joint Maritime Commission is the only permanent bipartite standing body of the ILO. It dates back to 1920, and is composed of ship-owner and seafarer representatives from across the globe.

The Subcommittee was established by the Governing Body at its 280th Session (March 2001) to meet every two years for the purpose of updating the basic pay or wages of able seafarers.