As a New Issue in Marine Industry - Maritime Labour Convention

The International Labour Organization accepted Maritime Labour Convention on 23 February in 2006 and it came into force on 20 August 2013. The Convention aims to protect marine employee and ensures economical supports for death or long-term disability of sea workers; furthermore, it brings the obligations to the biggest parties in the maritime sector which are flag states, port states, staffing agencies and seafarer employing companies. In the meanwhile, it considers the benefits and rights of the ship-owners as an employer. In the last century the earth has seen too many disasters originating from the sea vessels. After each incidence occurred, the legal measures had been taken such as SOLAS, MARPOL, STCW, ISM CODES. The common point of these conventions is to prevent environment and sustain the safety at sea. It is now clear that the environment and the safety are important issues. Let us turn the attention to the human condition on board the vessels. Marine worker’s employment conditions and welfare are as important as environment and other issues. Moreover, one argument against this cannot be ignored; the global trade is impossible in the case of the all marine employers had damaged in a storm. Upon the conditions and criteria, the first convention that aspiring to protect the rights of the seafarers was established with the name of Maritime Labour Convention. In this study Maritime Labour Convention is examined in consideration of structure and target. The reports of the port state and flag state inspections are viewed and the important points and regulations of the convention are studied with regards to seafarers and other parties such as ship-owner, flag & port states, class associations.