The Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006) is an international labour convention developed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to protect the fundamental rights, working conditions, living conditions, health, safety, and welfare of seafarers worldwide. Often referred to as the “Seafarers’ Bill of Rights,” the Convention establishes comprehensive minimum requirements for decent work on board ships.

The MLC, 2006 provides a structured framework covering seafarers’ employment agreements, wages, hours of work and rest, accommodation, food and catering, medical care, occupational health and safety, social security, repatriation, complaint handling, and access to shore-based welfare facilities. It also establishes requirements for shipowners, flag States, port States, labour-supplying States, and seafarer recruitment and placement services.

The Convention applies internationally to commercial ships and seafarers covered by the legislation of countries that have ratified it. Specific certification and inspection requirements generally apply to ships of 500 gross tonnage or above engaged in international voyages or operating between ports in different countries.

MLC, 2006, as Amended – Current Applicable Version

The currently applicable consolidated framework is the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended, incorporating the amendments adopted in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2022. The 2022 amendments entered into force on 23 December 2024. Further amendments were adopted in 2025, but they are expected to enter into force on 23 December 2027 and are therefore not yet part of the requirements currently in force as of August 2026.

The Convention emphasizes several key principles:

Comprehensive Protection of Seafarers’ Rights

Ensures that all seafarers have the right to decent, safe, and fair working and living conditions, without discrimination, exploitation, forced labour, or unreasonable employment practices.

Five-Title Regulatory Framework

The requirements of the MLC, 2006 are organized into five main Titles:

1. Minimum Requirements for Seafarers to Work on a Ship
2. Conditions of Employment
3. Accommodation, Recreational Facilities, Food and Catering
4. Health Protection, Medical Care, Welfare and Social Security Protection
5. Compliance and Enforcement

These five Titles provide an integrated framework for protecting seafarers throughout recruitment, employment, service on board, sign-off, and repatriation.

Fair Recruitment and Employment Practices

Requires seafarer recruitment and placement services to operate transparently and ethically. Seafarers must not be charged recruitment or placement fees, except for limited personal document costs permitted by the Convention.

Recruitment agencies are expected to verify seafarers’ qualifications and documents, provide accurate information regarding employment conditions, maintain proper records, protect personal data, manage complaints, and ensure that employment opportunities are offered without exploitation.

Seafarers’ Employment Agreements and Wages

Requires every seafarer to have a clear and legally enforceable Seafarers’ Employment Agreement, commonly referred to as an SEA, which has been reviewed and voluntarily accepted before employment begins.

The agreement must clearly define employment conditions, including wages, position, duration of employment, leave entitlement, termination conditions, repatriation rights, health and social security benefits, and applicable collective bargaining agreements.

Working and Rest Hours

Establishes requirements for maximum hours of work or minimum hours of rest to prevent fatigue and protect the safety, health, and well-being of seafarers.

Records of hours of work and rest must be accurately maintained, regularly reviewed, and signed or acknowledged by the seafarer and an authorized shipboard representative.

Accommodation, Food and Welfare

Requires ships to provide safe, hygienic, and suitable accommodation, recreational facilities, drinking water, nutritious food, and properly prepared meals.

Food must be provided without charge to seafarers during their period of engagement, and catering personnel must have appropriate competence, training, and qualifications.

Medical Care, Health and Safety Protection

Requires seafarers to have access to appropriate medical care on board and ashore, comparable as far as practicable to the healthcare available to workers ashore.

Shipowners must establish occupational health and safety policies, conduct risk assessments, prevent accidents and occupational diseases, provide personal protective equipment, investigate incidents, and promote a strong safety culture on board.

Repatriation and Financial Security

Ensures that seafarers have the right to repatriation without cost in circumstances such as expiration or termination of employment, illness, injury, shipwreck, abandonment, or when the shipowner is no longer able to fulfil employment obligations.

Ships must maintain evidence of financial security to cover seafarer abandonment and contractual claims arising from death or long-term disability due to occupational injury, illness, or hazard.

Compliance, Certification and Enforcement

Establishes responsibilities for:

• Flag State inspections and certification
• Port State control inspections
• Onboard complaint procedures
• Onshore complaint procedures
• Labour-supplying State responsibilities
• Control of recruitment and placement services

Applicable ships are required to carry a valid Maritime Labour Certificate and a Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance—Parts I and II, demonstrating that working and living conditions comply with the Convention and the applicable national legislation.

Benefits of ILO MLC 2006

Enhanced Protection of Seafarers

Protects seafarers against exploitation, unsafe working conditions, unpaid wages, unreasonable working hours, abandonment, discrimination, and unfair recruitment practices.

Improved Working and Living Conditions

Ensures that seafarers receive suitable accommodation, nutritious food, medical care, adequate rest, occupational safety protection, recreational facilities, and access to welfare services.

Legal and Regulatory Compliance

Demonstrates compliance with international maritime labour requirements, flag State legislation, port State control requirements, and applicable national employment and maritime regulations.

Reduced Risk of Ship Detention

Effective implementation helps reduce nonconformities, complaints, deficiencies, and the risk of ship detention during flag State or port State control inspections.

Increased Seafarer Trust and Retention

Fair employment agreements, timely payment of wages, safe working conditions, effective complaint handling, and proper welfare arrangements improve seafarer satisfaction, motivation, and retention.

Improved Reputation and Market Access

Demonstrates the shipowner’s, ship manager’s, or recruitment agency’s commitment to responsible maritime employment practices, strengthening credibility with seafarers, principals, charterers, authorities, and international business partners.

Better Operational and Safety Performance

Adequate competence, fatigue management, medical fitness, occupational risk controls, incident prevention, and proper communication contribute to safer and more reliable ship operations.

Stronger Recruitment and Placement Controls

Helps recruitment and placement services establish transparent processes for crew selection, document verification, employment agreements, medical fitness, deployment, complaint handling, repatriation, and control of shipowners, principals, and sub-agents.

Effective Complaint and Corrective Action Management

Provides seafarers with accessible onboard and onshore complaint mechanisms while requiring organizations to investigate problems, protect seafarers against victimization, implement corrective actions, and prevent recurrence.

Continuous Improvement of Maritime Labour Conditions

Encourages shipowners, ship managers, recruitment agencies, and maritime authorities to continually review employment practices, risks, complaints, incidents, welfare arrangements, and regulatory developments to improve the protection and well-being of seafarers.