This recognition is vital for ensuring fair treatment and safeguarding seafarers’ rights, improving their access to medical care, mobility, and legal protections.
The International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (Intercargo) has welcomed the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) recent decision to officially classify seafarers as key workers under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC).
This recognition highlights the essential role seafarers play in global trade. It is a crucial advancement in promoting fair treatment and protecting the rights of seafarers, enhancing their access to medical care, mobility, and legal protections, Intercargo stated.
During the pandemic, Intercargo advocated for the recognition of seafarers as essential workers, emphasising the need for safe crew changes, prioritised vaccinations, and international cooperation.
This experience has reinforced the industry’s commitment to preventing similar challenges in the future.
Intercargo chairman John Xylas said: “This recognition of seafarers as key workers by the ILO is both symbolic and substantive — a major win for the maritime community and a direct response to the urgent calls we and others made throughout the Covid-19 crisis.
“It is an acknowledgment of the essential role played by seafarers in global trade and the sacrifices they make daily. It is also a reminder that governments must now act to implement and enforce these changes at national level.”
Additionally, Intercargo appreciates the MLC’s new guidelines addressing the fair treatment of seafarers in situations of detention, investigation, or criminalisation, as these circumstances have historically left seafarers with inadequate legal protections.
As the maritime industry faces challenges in recruiting and retaining seafarers, particularly in the dry bulk sector, establishing a global framework that ensures dignity and decent working conditions is increasingly vital, Intercargo stated.
In 2023, Intercargo urged for enhanced protections for seafarers against drug trafficking. The association noted that the risk of arrest for drug activity on ships may deter potential seafarers, as entire crews are often arrested if drugs are discovered.
