Know your rights

Working seafarers carry the same global rights wherever they sail — set out in the ILO Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC), STCW, SOLAS, and national law. This hub turns those rules into action: what they mean, what evidence to save, who to call first, and what NOT to sign. Every page cites a primary source you can verify yourself.

Each topic also appears as a practical action guide in Get Help Now — the rights pages are the rule-and-citation pillar; the help pages are the next-steps shortcut.

The pillar

MLC 2006 — your bill of rights
Five Titles covering employment, wages, accommodation, health, and complaints.

Contract and wages

Seafarer Employment Agreement (SEA)
What must be in your contract — clauses, side-letters, and what to refuse.
Unpaid wages
Wage account, allotments, deductions, ITF inspector route, vessel arrest.
Recruitment fees & scams
ILO C181 + MLC A1.4(5)(b) — fees you should never pay; recognising fake agencies.
Hours of rest
STCW VIII/1 + MLC A2.3 — 14h/24h + 72h/7d minimums and record-keeping.

Body, mind, safety

Medical care
MFAG, TMAS, medevac, P&I cover, MLC Reg 4.1.
Food and accommodation
MLC Title 3 — cabin space, food quality, ventilation, weekly inspections.
Bullying, harassment, sexual harassment
Evidence, DPA route, MLC A5.1.5 complaint, 2024 amendments.
Injury, death, compensation
MLC Std A4.2.1 financial security, P&I cover, log-book evidence, claims.

Documents and movement

Shore leave
FAL Convention Std 3.44, SID under ILO C185, port-state realities.
Passport / documents held
MLC A1.4(5)(a) — owner/agency may not hold your passport, CDC, or SEA.
Repatriation
MLC Reg 2.5, 11-month cap, owner-paid grounds, financial security.
Family emergency
MLC A2.5.1 owner-paid sign-off grounds; evidence + shipping-master role.

Complaint paths

On-board complaint procedure
MLC A5.1.5 — formal complaint, chain of escalation, anti-retaliation.
Port-state-control complaints
Paris/Tokyo MoU + Caribbean + IO + USCG + AMSA: who to call, what they can do.
Flag-state complaints
DMLC Part I contacts, GISIS, the role of the flag administration.
Union and welfare escalation
ITF inspector vs ISWAN vs Stella Maris vs flag-state vs PSC — choosing the right channel.

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