ILO adjusts protection measures for seafarers

ILO adjusts protection measures for seafarers
Paul Icamina - October 11, 2022 https://malaya.com.ph/news_business/ilo-adjusts-protection-measures-for-...

Bullying and sexual harassment happen in the high seas. So much so that an international maritime oversight committee saw the need to adjust protection nets for seafarers.

The Special Tripartite Committee (STC) adopted a number of resolutions related to bullying and harassment of seafarers, including sexual assault and sexual harassment; the financial security system to protect seafarers in cases of abandonment; and the need to adopt measures to ensure that all seafarers have adequate means of contractual redress against shipowners.

Drawing from lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, eight amendments ensure that seafarers have personal protective equipment that are appropriate in size, in particular to suit the increasing number of women seafarers.

The prompt repatriation of abandoned seafarers must always be facilitated. There should be provisions for medical care of seafarers in need of immediate assistance.

The repatriation of the remains of seafarers who have died on board should be facilitated. All deaths of seafarers should be recorded and reported annually and the relevant data is published.

Seafarers should be provided with appropriate social connectivity by shipowners and that governments must provide internet access in their ports.

Seafarers must be informed of their rights relating to the obligation of recruitment and placement services to compensate seafarers for monetary losses.

Good quality drinking water should be available free of charge for seafarers.

The amendments will enter into force by December 2024.

In 2012, the Philippines ratified the Maritime Labor Convention of 2006 to demonstrate its commitment to decent work for seafarers.

With nearly 700,000 seafarers, nearly half of them working overseas, the Philippines is the world’s largest source of maritime manpower, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Filipinos comprise 20 percent or a fifth of the 1.2 million seafarers worldwide. Their remittances amount to US$1 billion and contribute significantly to the national economy.

About three in 10 Filipino seafarers work on foreign flag ships. It also has a large domestic fleet, with nearly as many seafarers working on Philippine flagged ships.

Maritime schools and training centers produce 20,000 graduates each year. However, only a small percentage of these students actually find employment, according to the ILO.

The Maritime Labor Convention applies to nearly 60 percent of the world’s commercial fleet. It protects all seafarers, from recruitment to placement and deployment.

The living and working conditions of seafarers are different from other workers since their workplace is their home. Ships remain one of the most dangerous places to work in, with high casualty figures for seafarers, according to the ILO.

The global nature of seafarer employment makes it difficult to enforce laws that protect worker rights. The nature of work and the lack of enforcement of standards make seafarers vulnerable to abuse, exploitation and unfair labor practice, according to the STC.

Seafarers should live and work on board vessels without fear of discrimination and physical or mental abuse, the STC said in a statement released early October.

It called for flag, port and labor supplying countries as well as shipping companies and seafarers to be proactive in preventing discrimination and physical or mental abuse on board vessels.

An existing regulatory framework provides for a safe place of work for all seafarers, including the MaritimeLabor Convention, the Violence and Harassment Conventionas well as international labor standards.

Under the Maritime Labor Convention, overseen by the ILO, each ILO member country shall ensure that seafarers on ships that fly its flag are provided with occupational health protection and live, work and train on board ship in a safe and hygienic environment.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, countries have defined duties and obligations on labor conditions, crewing and social matters on ships that fly their flags.

The Maritime Labor Convention ensures that every seafarer has the right to a safe and secure workplace that complies with safety standards. This includes the obligation to provide seafarers with an accessible confidential complaint and reporting procedure to allow them to report any breaches of their fundamental rights.

One of these rights is the prevention of shipboard harassment and bullying.