ILO convention establishing minimum working, living, and social security standards for seafarers worldwide.
In practice
For a seafarer, MLC 2006 establishes legally enforceable rights: minimum rest hours, maximum working hours, safe manning levels, repatriation rights, access to medical care, protection of wages, and standards for accommodation and food. The Maritime Labour Certificate and Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance, which ships must carry, record how the vessel complies with each of the fourteen areas covered by the Convention.
Regulatory detail & full definition
The Maritime Labour Convention 2006, adopted by the International Labour Organisation, consolidates and updates more than sixty earlier maritime labour instruments into a single comprehensive framework setting minimum working, living, and social security standards for seafarers. It entered into force in August 2013 and applies to vessels of 500 GT or more operating internationally. It is often described as the fourth pillar of international maritime law alongside SOLAS, MARPOL, and STCW.
For a seafarer, MLC 2006 establishes legally enforceable rights: minimum rest hours, maximum working hours, safe manning levels, repatriation rights, access to medical care, protection of wages, and standards for accommodation and food. The Maritime Labour Certificate and Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance, which ships must carry, record how the vessel complies with each of the fourteen areas covered by the Convention.
Port state control officers in MLC member states are authorised to inspect vessels for labour compliance, not just safety compliance. Deficiencies can range from failure to post the work and rest hours schedule to inadequate sleeping accommodation or unpaid wages. Officers and masters must maintain accurate rest hour records because falsification is both a violation of MLC and a safety risk: fatigued watchkeepers are a factor in many maritime casualties.