ILO has published the fourth edition of the ILO’s Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 as part of the follow-up to the ILO’s Action plan to achieve rapid and widespread ratification and effective implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006. The Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006), was adopted by the 94th (Maritime) Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) on 23 February 2006.
The MLC, 2006 entered into force on 20 August 2013 and, as of March 2015, has been ratified by 66 countries representing more than 80 per cent of the world gross tonnage of ships. Since 2006, both interest and experience with the MLC, 2006 has grown. In 2012, in order to help promote greater ownership of the MLC, 2006 among ILO constituents and also to facilitate the understanding of the Convention, the International Labour Office prepared an online electronic database of answers to “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQ), which was also prepared in the form of an ILO paper publication. It was intended to be an easily accessible source of information that would be regularly updated. The FAQ is intended to help persons engaged in the study or application of the MLC, 2006 to find answers to questions they have about this innovative ILO Convention.
It must be noted that the answers provided in the FAQ cannot in themselves be cited as authoritative legal opinions. This is because the precise requirements of the Convention are those contained in the national laws or regulations or other measures adopted by each country to implement the MLC, 2006. The answers in the FAQ are intended to provide information in the form of brief explanations referring to the Convention and other reference materials. They are not legal opinions or legal advice as to the meaning of a requirement in the Convention or its application to an individual situation. Such opinions can be provided by the ILO to governments and shipowners’ and seafarers’ organizations, in particular, upon request and on the understanding that only the International Court of Justice is competent to give authoritative interpretations of international labour Convention.
Source: ILO
MLC is a good convention. How ever how much of it is going to be effective will depend on the implementation I each nations. MLC as such gives you a freedom for each state to adapt.
Let us hope that this adaptation does not end in a status of adopt child
J K M Nair, director & CEO. Training $olutions International http://www.trgsolutions.in
MLC initiated by ILO and IMO is very good, but does not well informed to the seafarer itself. I think many the administration in the development country have a half hearthly to implement it as they are not ready to create new rules to adopt the MLC requirements and shipping company facing more paperwork to suit it mets with ISM