Unpaid wages

MLC 2006 Regulation 2.2 and Standard A2.2 require that you are paid in full at intervals of no more than one month and that a written wage account is provided at each payment. You also have an unconditional right to send a portion of your earnings home as an allotment; the shipowner cannot block or delay that transfer. Where the vessel flies a flag on the ITF's Flag of Convenience list, the ITF Total Crew Cost (TCC) Collective Bargaining Agreement sets the global minimum wage floor regardless of what your individual SEA says. Wages that remain unpaid for two consecutive months trigger the abandonment provisions of MLC Std A2.5.2 — meaning the flag-state's financial-security insurer becomes directly liable. Maritime wage claims rank as privileged liens against the vessel under the 1993 Geneva Convention on Maritime Liens and Mortgages, giving you a powerful enforcement lever even before an ITF inspector is involved. For the technical framework, see /reference/mlc.

What this usually means

If your wages are late or short: keep copies of your SEA, wage account, time sheets, and all correspondence. Contact an ITF inspector in the port you're in (or the next port if your current one has none).

Step-by-step

Keep the original SEA, any wage accounts received, and screenshots of any office correspondence.
Request a formal wage statement from the Master in writing.
Contact the ITF inspector in the next port with inspector coverage (findable at itfseafarers.org/en/contact-us/find-an-itf-inspector).
If the flag state is an ITF Flag of Convenience, the ITF TCC CBA minimum scale applies regardless of the individual SEA.
If the owner refuses to pay, the inspector can arrange a Notice of Intent to Arrest via the port's admiralty court.

Evidence to save

Original SEA — every page, photographed the day you joined.
Monthly wage accounts or payslips for every month of the contract.
Timesheets or hours-of-work records showing overtime worked but not paid.
Bank statements or mobile-banking screenshots showing the date and amount of each payment received.
Screenshots of allotment-payment confirmations or missed allotment notifications.
Copies of any written correspondence (email, WhatsApp, official letters) with the master or DPA about wage delays.
Photograph of the DMLC Part II posted in the messroom — shows the financial-security insurer name and policy number.

What NOT to sign

A 'final receipt' or 'quittance' releasing the owner from wage claims before all outstanding amounts have actually cleared your account.
A wage account that shows deductions you have not authorised — write 'signed under protest as to deduction of [amount]' before signing.
Any document waiving your right to an allotment or converting it to a 'loan repayment' without your written consent.
A 'salary advance' agreement that contains a penalty clause exceeding the actual advance amount.
Any release of claims in exchange for a repatriation ticket while wages remain outstanding.

Escalation path

Request a formal written wage statement from the master under MLC Std A2.2. Keep the request and any response.
If wages are still unpaid after 14 days from the due date: file the on-board complaint in writing per MLC A5.1.5 and give a copy to the master.
Contact the ITF inspector at the next port with coverage (search: itfseafarers.org/en/contact-us/find-an-itf-inspector). They can inspect, negotiate, and arrange vessel arrest.
On an FoC-flagged vessel: notify the ITF that the TCC CBA minimum applies — the inspector can enforce this regardless of the individual SEA rate.
File with the flag state's maritime administration (contact on DMLC Part II) — the financial-security insurer is triggered by the flag state's abandonment notification.
If the vessel is in a Paris MoU or Tokyo MoU port: file a PSC complaint. PSC officers can inspect wage records and cite deficiencies.

Legal basis

MLC 2006, Regulation 2.2. ITF TCC Collective Agreement sets the global minimum wage floor. Flag state can be held financially liable via its MLC financial security.

Related terms

Organisations that can help

ISWAN SeafarerHelp
Global · 24/7
📞 +44 800 012 1004
ITF Inspectorate — London (Global Coordinating)
Global · Mon-Fri 9-17 GMT, after-hours via inspector network
📞 +44 20 7403 2733
ITF Seafarers
Global · 24/7 for emergencies
📞 +44 20 7403 2733
Nautilus International — UK 24-hour helpline
Europe · 24/7
📞 +44 20 8989 6677
AMOSUP (Associated Marine Officers' and Seamen's Union of the Philippines)
Asia-Pacific · Mon-Sat 8-17 PHT
📞 +63 2 8527 8491
NUSI (National Union of Seafarers of India)
Asia-Pacific · Mon-Fri 9:30-18 IST
📞 +91 22 6798 3636

Real cases

ITF wage-recovery casework, cumulative (2020-24) — ITF inspectors recover ~$40-50M per year in unpaid wages via vessel arrest + P&I A2.5.2 pay-outs + owner settlement.
Panama Canal transit arrest cases (2022) — Panama court issued 12 vessel-arrest orders on unpaid-wage claims in 2022 alone; typical resolution within 4-6 weeks.

ITF outcome statistics

Annual wage-recovery amount: $40-50M
ITF inspectors worldwide: ~130
Typical resolution time: 4-8 weeks

Source: ITF Seafarer Support annual reports.

Flag-state considerations

Wage claims are privileged liens against the vessel under the 1993 Geneva Convention regardless of flag. FoC vessels (RMI, LBR, PAN) typically have P&I A2.5.2 backing; smaller flag registries may require flag-state complaint escalation to force insurer response.