Conventional wisdom: Winds of change see in 'new era' for maritime recruiters
21 August 2013
Yesterday (20 August) saw the global Maritime Labour Convention (2006) (MLC) come into force, with recruiters in maritime and seafaring industries coming to grips with what the International Labour Organization (ILO) calls “a new era” for “the most globalized of industries” and its workforce.
Wed, 21 Aug 2013Yesterday (20 August) saw the global Maritime Labour Convention (2006) (MLC) come into force, with recruiters in maritime and seafaring industries coming to grips with what the International Labour Organization (ILO) calls “a new era” for “the most globalized of industries” and its workforce.
While providing further protection for maritime workers and creating opportunities for the industry, it also places various administrative burdens on employers and recruiters.
The convention is steered by the ILO, a specialist agency of the United Nations, and became binding international law having been ratified by 48 ILO member states, who together represent more than 70% of global gross shipping tonnage.
The US, Brazil, India and Russia are among nations that have not ratified it, while the UK, Isle of Man and Gibraltar only did so on 7 August this year, meaning it comes into effect on the same date in 2014.
Ian Livingstone, the managing director of Clyde Marine Recruitment says that alongside greater protection for seafaring staff, the MLC “has also led to greater contractual, financial and administrative burdens being placed on the shoulders of the world’s ship owners, and in particular on the crew management and marine recruitment companies”.
He takes recruiter.co.uk through some of the major areas of relevance to recruiters in the industry in the Expert Advice section of recruiter.co.uk, which include the need for all contracts to be in the hand of a seafarer before he or she steps onto a vessel and greater liability for recruiters in the case of the insolvency of a ship-owner/operator.
In a press statement released to industry news site BYMNews.com announcing their accreditation under the MLC, US-based yacht crewing agency The Crew Network says that its accreditation means its clients are ensured of “properly qualified candidates, easier flag and/or port state control inspections and... crewing consultants that are trained and certified in MLC 2006 procedures”.
Paddy Crumlin, the president of the International Transport Workers’ Federation, calls the bill “a true watershed”, saying that it “represents a significant leap forward in the global trade union campaign to improve the labour rights and labour standards of seafarers”.
And he tells recruiter.co.uk that its “opens up new employment opportunities in terms of building global trade by bolstering the quality of employment on quality shipping lines that are prepared to conform to new standards for seafarers”.
A story on the website of seafaring news site MarineLink.com suggests that “crew will now not only be looking for appropriate remuneration but also the best working conditions”.
While providing further protection for maritime workers and creating opportunities for the industry, it also places various administrative burdens on employers and recruiters.
The convention is steered by the ILO, a specialist agency of the United Nations, and became binding international law having been ratified by 48 ILO member states, who together represent more than 70% of global gross shipping tonnage.
The US, Brazil, India and Russia are among nations that have not ratified it, while the UK, Isle of Man and Gibraltar only did so on 7 August this year, meaning it comes into effect on the same date in 2014.
Ian Livingstone, the managing director of Clyde Marine Recruitment says that alongside greater protection for seafaring staff, the MLC “has also led to greater contractual, financial and administrative burdens being placed on the shoulders of the world’s ship owners, and in particular on the crew management and marine recruitment companies”.
He takes recruiter.co.uk through some of the major areas of relevance to recruiters in the industry in the Expert Advice section of recruiter.co.uk, which include the need for all contracts to be in the hand of a seafarer before he or she steps onto a vessel and greater liability for recruiters in the case of the insolvency of a ship-owner/operator.
In a press statement released to industry news site BYMNews.com announcing their accreditation under the MLC, US-based yacht crewing agency The Crew Network says that its accreditation means its clients are ensured of “properly qualified candidates, easier flag and/or port state control inspections and... crewing consultants that are trained and certified in MLC 2006 procedures”.
Paddy Crumlin, the president of the International Transport Workers’ Federation, calls the bill “a true watershed”, saying that it “represents a significant leap forward in the global trade union campaign to improve the labour rights and labour standards of seafarers”.
And he tells recruiter.co.uk that its “opens up new employment opportunities in terms of building global trade by bolstering the quality of employment on quality shipping lines that are prepared to conform to new standards for seafarers”.
A story on the website of seafaring news site MarineLink.com suggests that “crew will now not only be looking for appropriate remuneration but also the best working conditions”.
- The full MLC is available via the ILO's website, and you can click for more transport and logistics recruitment news and views from recruiter.co.uk
