A sea change ahead

With the Maritime Labour Convention looming, it is time for the industry to get back to basics

Since August the press has been full of articles about the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC2006) and how its ratification will affect the industry. The establishment of minimum standards for the working conditions of today’s seafarers is an immense task, now the overarching policy has been determined. Yet this legislation will succeed or fail based not on identifying the steps necessary to improve the seafarer’s lot, but in making the implementation of the regulations a reality amongst the wide range of vessels operating across the world, with crews of different nationalities, under different flags.