Nautilus International is marking the 20th anniversary of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) – a landmark ‘fourth pillar’ of international maritime law – by highlighting the real, hard‑won improvements it has delivered for seafarers’ lives at sea and ashore.
Adopted on 23 February 2006, the MLC brought together more than 60 fragmented maritime instruments into a single, enforceable framework. Since then, Nautilus and its global partners have used the convention to lift minimum standards, close loopholes and push for continuous improvement in seafarers’ working and living conditions.
Concrete wins for seafarers
Over the last two decades, sustained union pressure within the MLC’s structures has helped secure:
- Recognition of seafarers as key workers
For the first time in ILO history, the MLC now explicitly recognises seafarers as key workers – a status Nautilus pushed for relentlessly following the Covid-19 crew change crisis. This is vital for ensuring freedom of movement, access to medical care and priority treatment in future emergencies. - Stronger protection against criminalisation
New guidelines, now referenced in the mandatory parts of the MLC, offer better protection for seafarers facing unjust criminalisation after incidents at sea. This strengthens fair treatment, due process and respect for workers’ rights when things go wrong. - Improved repatriation rights
Amendments have tightened obligations on shipowners and flag states to ensure timely repatriation, reducing the risk of seafarers being stranded, unpaid or abandoned far from home. - Better food, water and accommodation standards
The MLC has driven tangible upgrades in living conditions onboard, including clearer standards for accommodation, food quality and fresh water provision, reinforcing the basic dignity and wellbeing of crews. - Action on harassment and bullying
New amendments are being developed to tackle sexual harassment and bullying at sea, embedding prevention and protection measures into the convention and supporting safer, more respectful workplaces for all seafarers.
A living convention – and unfinished business
The MLC was never meant to be static. Through the Special Tripartite Committee, where Nautilus plays a leading role for seafarers, unions continue to drive forward amendments on:
- Fatigue and safe manning levels
Addressing chronic under‑manning and rest hours that exist on paper but not always in practice. - Just transition and training
Ensuring seafarers can upskill and reskill at no personal cost to meet the challenges of new fuels, digitalisation and the drive to net zero by 2050. - Mental health and emergency preparedness
Lockdowns, port closures and crew change failures during Covid‑19 exposed how quickly governments can sideline seafarers’ rights. Nautilus is pressing for stronger, binding guarantees that crew changes, medical access and mental health support can never again be treated as optional.
As Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson has repeatedly argued, a level playing field for shipowners must go hand in hand with ever‑rising standards for seafarers – not a race to the bottom.
Twenty years on, the MLC has delivered real gains – but its future, and the future of decent work at sea, depends on continued collective action, vigilance and seafarer engagement.