MLC vs STCW vs SOLAS
The three big maritime conventions every seafarer needs to know — and what each one actually covers. Crew labour, training + certification, and ship safety.
Side-by-side
| Criterion | MLC 2006 Maritime Labour Convention — the 'seafarer's bill of rights' | STCW Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping | SOLAS Safety of Life at Sea — the umbrella ship-safety code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adopted by | ILO (International Labour Organization) | IMO (International Maritime Organization) | IMO |
| Year first adopted | 2006 (in force 2013) | 1978 (heavily amended 1995, 2010 Manila, 2024) | 1974 (current consolidated text) |
| Who it protects / regulates | The seafarer (employment + welfare) | The seafarer (competence + certification) | The ship + everyone on board |
| Headline topics | SEA, wages, hours of work + rest, repatriation, accommodation, food, medical care, financial security, complaints | CoC, CoP, BST, refreshers, watchkeeping, country-of-issue recognition, flag endorsement | Construction, fire, lifesaving, GMDSS, navigation, ISM + ISPS Codes, polar code, IMSBC code, IGC code |
| Enforced by | Flag state (Reg 5.1) + port state (Reg 5.2) | Flag state (Reg I/4) + port state (MoUs) | Flag state + classification society + port state (MoUs) |
| Seafarer complaint route | Onboard procedure (A5.1.5) → flag state → port state (A5.2.2) | Through flag-state CoC issuer + port state during PSC | Through ISM Designated Person Ashore + flag state |
| What goes wrong if it's violated | Unpaid wages, abandonment, denied repatriation, unsafe accommodation, hour-of-rest abuse | Sailing on expired CoC, fake STCW courses, inadequate competence onboard | Lifesaving / firefighting deficiencies, watertight integrity failure, GMDSS failure, PSC detention |
Who each suits
- MLC 2006
When you have a contract, wages, hours, repatriation, or welfare problem — MLC is the convention that gives you the right to a remedy. Check the rights at /rights and the help guides at /help.
- STCW
When you have a question about what certificate to hold, how to revalidate, what a flag endorsement is, or which refresher you need — STCW is the convention that defines the answer. Tools: /tools/stcw-certificate-checker.
- SOLAS
When you have a safety question about the ship itself — lifeboats, fire systems, watertight doors, GMDSS, ECDIS, ISM, ISPS — SOLAS (and its subsidiary codes) is the framework.
Pros and cons
MLC 2006
Pros
- Comprehensive coverage of labour rights — the most seafarer-protective instrument ever adopted.
- Port-state complaint route (A5.2.2) gives seafarers a remedy in any ratifying port.
- Financial-security amendments (2014) make abandonment compensation enforceable.
Cons
- Enforcement varies wildly by flag state.
- Onboard complaint procedure (A5.1.5) only works where the master is engaged.
- Some flags ratified the convention but don't actively enforce it.
STCW
Pros
- Sets a true global baseline — your CoC is recognisable everywhere the convention is in force.
- Refresher cycles (2010 Manila Amendments) catch up with technology + fatigue research.
- White List makes fake courses easier to detect.
Cons
- Flag-state interpretation of recognition rules varies.
- Refresher costs fall on the seafarer in practice on many fleets.
- Fake course providers persist, especially in unregulated training markets.
SOLAS
Pros
- Most comprehensive ship-safety regime in the world.
- Backed by classification societies + port-state inspections.
- Continually updated — Polar Code, IMSBC, IGF, cyber-risk amendments.
Cons
- Compliance burden falls disproportionately on smaller operators.
- Some subsidiary codes (IMSBC Group A) need stronger enforcement than they get.
Common misunderstandings
- 'STCW is about safety drills.' STCW is about training + certification. The drills themselves are SOLAS (Chapter III + ISM Code).
- 'MLC covers safety.' MLC covers labour, welfare, and accommodation safety. Construction + lifesaving + firefighting safety is SOLAS.
- 'If MLC is enforced, SOLAS doesn't matter.' Both apply simultaneously. SOLAS enforcement (PSC) and MLC enforcement (PSC + flag) are parallel tracks.
- 'My CoC is an MLC document.' Wrong — your CoC is an STCW document. Your SEA is an MLC document.
FAQ
- If only one of the three applied to me, which would be most useful?
- Depends on the problem. For a wage / contract / repatriation dispute → MLC. For a certificate / refresher question → STCW. For a ship-safety question → SOLAS. In practice all three apply on every commercial vessel and you'll touch all three across a contract.
- Which one gives me the right to refuse to sail?
- Multiple. SOLAS (Reg V/34) + ISM (Element 5) give the Master ultimate authority on safety. MLC A5.1.5 covers onboard complaints including refusal to work in unsafe conditions. STCW VIII includes fitness-for-duty (rest hours) as a sailing prerequisite. The strongest combination is to invoke MLC + ISM together for a wage + safety issue.
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