The International Labour Organisation (ILO) recently adopted a Convention on labour standards for seafarers that will also affect Cyprus. The Convension will be an international legal instrument for the 1.2 million seafarers worldwide and for shipowners and maritime nations around the world.
It was adopted at the end of the 10th maritime session of the International Labour Conference held from February 7 to 23 2006.
The European Commission, in a statement, said it supported the process from the start and acted as facilitator in the negotiations by helping to coordinate the positions of the Member States.
It now plans to support the effective implementation of the Convention in the European Union.
“The Convention will put an end to the scandalous working conditions with which too many seafarers are familiar and will make competition fairer for our shipping companies,” said Jacques Barrot, Vice-President with special responsibility for transport, at the close of the International Conference in Geneva.
“It must come into force as quickly as possible. Better working conditions on board ships should attract more young people and reduce the causes of accidents at sea significantly,” he added.
Representatives of the Cyprus shipping industry have previously told the Financial Mirror that attracting workers into the seafaring business is one of the biggest challenges facing the shipping industry today.
Some 1 000 participants representing governments, employers and workers from 100 of the 178 member countries of the ILO took part in the negotiations which have been taking place since 2001.
The “Consolidated Maritime Labour Convention” brings together and updates more than 65 international labour standards adopted since the ILO was founded in 1919.
The Convention, which will apply to personnel working on ships of 500 gross tonnage or more which make international journeys or journeys between foreign ports, covers essential matters such as the conditions of employment and working conditions of seafarers, including health, safety, minimum age, recruitment, working hours, accommodation on ships and social protection in order to guarantee decent working and living conditions on board ships.
Enforcement system required
For its implementation, the Convention requires flag States to put in place a firm enforcement system based on a certification scheme and periodic inspections.
States will issue a certificate to ships flying their flag once the competent authorities have checked that working conditions on board comply with the national laws and regulations adopted to implement the Convention.
The Convention is also aimed at preventing unfair competition by means of a “no more favourable treatment” clause to ensure that the ships of States that have not ratified the Convention do not receive more favourable treatment than ships that fly the flag of a State that has ratified it.
The ships of countries which ratify the Convention and offer their seafarers decent working conditions will therefore be protected against unfair competition from substandard ships thanks to a certification system which will also reduce the risks of long delays due to inspections in foreign ports.
This Convention is considered to be the “fourth pillar” of the international rules for a high-quality maritime industry, supplementing ILO conventions such as the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS Convention), the International Convention on Standards of Certification, Training and Watchkeeping (STCW Convention) and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL Convention).
The new Convention has been designed to avoid the pitfall of a low level of ratification that some existing maritime labour conventions have encountered. The consensual manner in which it was developed and its universal applicability should ensure that it enters into force relatively quickly. This requires ratification of the Convention by 30 States representing 33% of world tonnage.
The Commission is aware of the importance of the Convention for the future of the European shipping industry and has already planned in its 2006 work programme to draft a Communication exploring the possibility of incorporating the Convention into Community law, including an agreement between the social partners in the framework of social dialogue. (Main source: European Commission)
