SIMIC

THE International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has released a new publication update urging the shipping industry to pay attention to the latest amendments made to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), reports the American Journal of Transportation.

It is essential for industry players to comply with these changes in order to operate and conduct global trade smoothly with their vessels.



Published by ICS Publications, the fourth edition of the Guidelines on the Application of the ILO Maritime Labour Convention provides crucial information and updates to the shipping industry regarding mandatory employment standards and best practices.



The purpose is to ensure that maritime employers adhere to the convention and fulfill their obligations as outlined by it.



With two million merchant seafarers employed worldwide, the shipping industry stands as the only industrial sector to have a comprehensive global regime in place.



This regime is enforced by governments worldwide through a system of flag state inspections and port state control, making it a highly regulated industry with rigorous standards.



"ICS is committed to helping shipping companies provide decent work for the seafarers they employ, and the latest edition of this publication gives employers all the information they need about best practice and amendments which have been made to the convention since 2013. This includes vital updates in response to some of the challenges presented by Covid, which were agreed by the ILO MLC in 2022," said ICS senior manager Helio Vicente.



"Pursuing a career at sea is a fantastic choice with excellent employment conditions, but it is important that we continue to improve the good employment practices and standards which are vital for the maritime industry to attract and retain the dedicated and high calibre workforce which the future of the industry will depend on."