August 22 - The International Labour Organization's (ILO) Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006 came into effect on August 21, 2013 across 30 states, with other ILO member states scheduled to bring it into force over the next 12 months.
The MLC 2006 is an international regulatory tool to provide protection at work for more than 1.5 million seafarers.
The MLC sets out seafarer's rights across a wide range of subjects; it will replace almost 70 existing conventions and regulations providing shipowners with a clear and consistent set of universal guidelines.
The convention was adopted by the ILO in 2006 and its ratification has been the result of years of hard work between the official ILO 'social partners' - the national shipowner associations coordinated by the International Shipping Federation (ISF) and seafarer trade unions organised by the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF).
A panel comprising high-level representatives of seafarers, shipowners, Singapore's maritime administration and the ILO came together on August 20, 2013 to commemorate the entry of the convention. Present at the event were: Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, director, ILO Department, International Labour Organization; Capt. Robin Foo, president, Singapore Maritime Officers' Union; Daniel J S Tan, executive director, Singapore Shipping Association; Mark Lim, deputy director (shipping), Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and chairman, tripartite working group on MLC.
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| From left to right: Dr Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, Capt. Robin Foo, Daniel Tan J S, and Mark Lim. |
