The Convention on the marine job, 2006 will take effect between a year



Maritime the Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006), the new "paper of the rights" of the seafarers, will take effect between a year. The convention, in fact, that it is adopted on February 23, 2006 by the International Labour Organization (ILO), previews that is applied 12 months after its ratifies by 30 nations associated to the ILO that represents at least 33% of world-wide the marine fleet in terms of tons of tonnage of the ships, conditions that have been both satisfying with ratify it by the Philippines and that they are exceeded with the next one ratifies of Russia.

The convention faces an immense range of issues, between which requirement minimums for the job of marine on board of the ships and the conditions of their employment, the responsibility of the agencies of manning, the destined working hours, lodgings and recreational structures to the classified crews, feeding and services canteen to the marine ones, the protection of their health, the sanitary assistance and the protection of their well-being. The convention is ratified by Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Benin, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, the Philippines, Gabon, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Latvia, Liberia, Luxemburg, Norway, Holland, Palau, Panama hat, Poland, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo and Tuvalu.

"All today - the director of the department of international the working standards of the ILO, Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry has declared - we can still see marine boarded on ships sub-standard in job and living conditions that are very beneath of the standards international minimums. I am convinced that Maritime the Labour Convention, 2006 of the ILO can answer to these challenges and address towards a sure and satisfactory distance for the future".

The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) and the International Shipping Federation (ISF) has received with satisfaction the announcement of the next effectiveness of the international convention on the marine job. Remembering that Maritime the Labour Convention, 2006 is defined the "fourth pillar" of the labor law in sea with conventions IMO SOLAS, MARPOL and STCW, the Marine president of the section of the ITF, Dave Heindel, have emphasized that "the MLC, the "paper of the rights" of the marine ones, is a real instrument for a real change. It possesses the potential one - it has explained - to determine a real difference for all the marine ones, independently from their nationality or the flag of the ship on which they lend service. Its effectiveness will be the apex of beyond ten years of efforts collectives by the social parts of the ILO. Finally we will have a "only door" for the standards of job that we are sure effectively will be put into effect and applied to total level. This means that all the marine ones would have soon to be able to enjoy a total protection of their fundamental rights. This means moreover good conditions of employment in all the field so that the responsible employers, as those represented from the ISF, are not disadvantaged respect to an irresponsible minority".

Draft - it has found the president of the Labour Affairs Committee of the International Shipping Federation, Arthur Bowring - "of a convention that has a capacity much wide whom it includes requisitioned of working and social safety and that therefore it demands a detailed study and, in order to place it in vigor, the potential modification of the local legislation. We expect that many other nations will ratify the convention in the course of the next year, so that its application will be supported on a global basis".

"The overwhelming majority of the shipowning companies - it has added Bowring - must not have some difficulty to respect the content of the convention, since in great part it derives from the current standards on the marine job of the ILO and from accepted good practical of employment. However - it has observed - the performance mechanism is new and will be important to avoid problems in the starting phase when some of the more specific requirement must be applied and interpreted. It will be therefore absolutely important to make sure that all the operators of ships are ready".