Background and Purpose
The Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, commonly known as MLC 2006, is an international labour treaty adopted by the International Labour Organization on 23 February 2006. It entered into force globally on 20 August 2013.
It consolidates numerous earlier maritime labour standards into a single framework and establishes minimum working and living conditions for seafarers.
It is often described as:
- the Bill of Rights for Seafarers;
- the fourth pillar of international maritime regulation, alongside major conventions dealing with maritime safety, training and marine pollution.
The Convention applies mainly to seafarers working on commercial ships. It generally does not apply to warships, naval auxiliaries, traditional vessels and certain ships operating only in inland or sheltered waters.
Rights of Seafarers
The Convention is organised around five major areas.
Minimum requirements for working on ships
It regulates:
- minimum age;
- medical fitness;
- training and qualifications;
- recruitment and placement services.
Conditions of employment
It provides standards relating to:
- written employment agreements;
- payment of wages;
- hours of work and rest;
- paid annual leave;
- repatriation;
- compensation when a ship is lost or abandoned;
- minimum safe-manning levels.
Accommodation and welfare
Ships must provide suitable:
- accommodation;
- sanitation;
- ventilation and lighting;
- food and drinking water;
- recreational facilities;
- catering services.
Health and social protection
Seafarers are entitled to:
- medical care aboard ship and ashore;
- occupational health and safety;
- accident prevention;
- shipowner liability for illness or injury;
- access to social-security protection.
Compliance and enforcement
The Convention establishes inspection, certification and complaint mechanisms to ensure that rights are implemented in practice.
Inspection and Certification
Ships of 500 gross tonnage or above engaged in international voyages, or operating between foreign ports, generally require:
- a Maritime Labour Certificate;
- a Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance.
The Maritime Labour Certificate confirms that the ship complies with the Convention’s labour standards.
The Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance contains:
- national requirements applicable to the ship;
- measures adopted by the shipowner to maintain continuing compliance.
The Convention follows the principle of no more favourable treatment. Ships flying the flag of a country that has not ratified the Convention may still be inspected when they enter the port of a country that has ratified it.
Enforcement operates through:
- flag State inspections, conducted by the country where the ship is registered;
- port State control, conducted when a foreign ship enters a port;
- onboard and shore-based complaint procedures.
Serious violations may result in detention of the ship until deficiencies are corrected.
India and the Convention
India ratified the Maritime Labour Convention on 9 October 2015.
Its requirements were initially implemented through the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 and the Merchant Shipping Maritime Labour Rules, 2016.
The Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, which came into force in March 2026, now provides the principal statutory framework for maritime labour standards in India.
It contains provisions relating to:
- minimum age and medical fitness;
- training and qualifications;
- recruitment of seafarers;
- employment agreements and wages;
- working hours and leave;
- repatriation;
- accommodation and food;
- medical care;
- health and occupational safety;
- social security;
- flag State and port State responsibilities.
The Directorate General of Shipping is the principal maritime authority responsible for implementation, inspection, certification and the welfare of Indian seafarers.
Importance and Challenges
The Convention is important because seafarers often work for long periods outside their home countries on ships registered in foreign jurisdictions. This can make access to wages, medical care and legal remedies difficult.
It protects seafarers against:
- unpaid or delayed wages;
- unsafe working conditions;
- excessive working hours;
- poor food and accommodation;
- abandonment in foreign ports;
- denial of medical care;
- exploitative recruitment practices.
Major implementation challenges include:
- fraudulent recruitment agencies;
- abandonment of seafarers;
- delayed wage payments;
- fatigue caused by inadequate rest;
- difficulty enforcing rights on foreign-flagged ships;
- limited shore leave and medical access;
- physical and mental-health problems;
- risks arising from piracy, conflict and maritime emergencies.
Effective implementation requires regular inspections, licensed recruitment agencies, accessible complaint mechanisms and international cooperation between flag States, port States and seafarers’ organisations.
Conclusion
The Maritime Labour Convention creates a comprehensive international framework for protecting seafarers’ dignity, safety and employment rights. Its effectiveness depends on strong national laws, credible ship inspections and prompt action against shipowners and recruiters who violate maritime labour standards.
