Seafarers, who have been complaining for long about abysmal working condition, poor health facilities, no retirement benefits and accident coverage, can now heave a sigh of relief. The implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) will ensure that anyone employed on a vessel of 500 gross weight tonnage (GWT) and above, floating on either river or sea, will come under the purview of International Committee on Seafarers’ Welfare (ICSW) and International Maritime Health Association (IMHA). It will include fishermen, croupiers, waiters, entertainers and even motormen, who take visitors on seaside trips.

End of exploitation

Most workers engaged in marine services complain that with no proper law in place, their masters leave no stone unturned to exploit them. The minimal wages that they receive is not enough for them to make both ends meet. They are forced to work in hazardous conditions leading to severe health issues, which at a later stage turn out to be fatal.

MLC is a stringent and comprehensive law that will strive to put an end to wrong practices and ensure that seafarers are given their due right. It will not only ensure better working conditions for workers but will also be a stepping stone in quality shipping. In the Indian context, MLC will provide comprehensive rights and protection at work to more than 30 lakh seafarers and will ensure that ship owners do not discriminate or exploit them.

Terms and conditions of MLC

Some of the terms and conditions laid under MLC are as follows:

·         No person below 16 years of age shall be engaged to work in a ship

·         Night work of seafarers under the age of 18 year is prohibited

·         A seafarer needs to be certified that he/she is medically fit to work on a ship

·         Minimum hours of work shall not exceed 14 hours in a 24-hour period and 72 hours in a 7-day period

·         Seafarers must have access to decent accommodation and recreational facilities on board

The hallmark of MLC is that it ropes in all aspects of a seafarer’s life right from his age, working time, rest periods and accommodation facilities. Not only this, ship owners violating any of the provisions laid in the convention are subject to severe punishments. Seafarers can also take a heart from the fact that it is up to the respective state governments to ensure strict adherence to the provisions of the law.

MLC will become effective from January 2011. Ship owners from around the globe have already started preparing the blue-print for execution of the law. It took ILO 5 years to implement the convention. With most of big maritime players such as Panama (which has 25% of global gross tonnage) and Liberia, Republic of Marshall Islands, Bahamas (whose combined gross tonnage stands at 20%) ratifying the convention, seafarers can expect a smooth sail from 2011. One standard law for the entire globe will ensure that seafarers are not cheated and discriminated. It will also boost young minds to venture the marine business in the hope of a safe and prosperous future.

Anup Gupta, managing director of Sal Logistics Private Limited, a big-sized logistics firm in New Delhi