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Salary, wire transfers & allotments

Under MLC 2006 you must be paid in full at no greater than monthly intervals, and you have the right to send a portion of your pay home as an allotment (Regulation 2.2). Wire-transfer issues — late payments, missed allotments, FX losses, agency-imposed deductions — are common. Most are administrative and resolvable quickly; some are early signs of an owner in financial distress, which is when you must act fast.

Step-by-step

  1. Request a written wage statement every month (Standard A2.2 requires this). Cross-check basic + overtime + allotment + balance against your timesheets.
  2. If an allotment to family is missed: confirm with family that it has not arrived (banks can delay 5–10 days). If still missing, raise in writing with the Master and manning agency.
  3. Document FX: the rate at which the wage is converted from contract currency (USD typically) to the home-country currency. Disputes over FX margins are common — the SEA should specify the basis.
  4. Watch for: unexplained deductions, changes to bank routing, "processing fees" on allotments, requests to switch from bank transfer to a third-party remittance app — all are red flags.
  5. Two consecutive late or short payments under MLC 2006 may trigger abandonment provisions (see the abandonment topic).
  6. Escalate: ITF Inspectorate, ISWAN SeafarerHelp, your national union (AMOSUP, NUSI, Nautilus, MTWTU). Keep all evidence — wage statements, bank screenshots, correspondence.

Evidence to save

What NOT to sign

Legal basis

MLC 2006 Regulation 2.2 (wages), Standard A2.2 (regular payment, monthly accounts, allotment). National banking and FX regulations of the home country. Abandonment provisions under Regulation 2.5 trigger after 2 months of unpaid wages.

Primary sources

Related terms

Organisations that can help

Disclaimer. General information only — not legal advice. Rules vary by flag state, port state, vessel type, applicable CBA, and contract. For specific cases, contact ITF, ISWAN, your union, or a maritime lawyer.