The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has filed a complaint with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) against Port State Control (PSC) inspectors for unfairly detaining ships, reports Seafarers Journal.
ICS, acting on behalf of the commercial shipping industry, expressed dissatisfaction over port state control inspectors unjustly detaining vessels during a three-month Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on seafarers’ wages and employment agreements.
It is reported that inspectors visited nearly 4,000 ships over three months last year to verify whether seafarers received proper wages. The inspection also checked for financial security ensuring shipowners’ liability to compensate seafarers or their families in cases of death, disability, or repatriation costs.
The complaint states that “inspections went far beyond the 10-point questionnaire developed by the Tokyo and Paris Memoranda of Understanding authorities for this CIC.”
ICS noted discrepancies in how inspectors calculated wages during checks and criticized demands for additional documentation.
IMO relayed ICS’s view that reports indicate excessively detailed inspections exceeding the questionnaire’s scope. “There may have been differing interpretations of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006) provisions on crew wages and employment agreements, potentially leading to unjustified detentions,” the organization added.
Data shows 30 ships (0.78%) out of 3,863 were detained for violations of seafarers’ employment agreements.
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