The Wallem-sponsored Maritime CEO Seafarer Leader Series powered by Ocean Technologies Group has so far interviewed employers, trade unions, the secretary general of the International Maritime Organization and seafarers themselves, all discussing the crew change crisis and how we might improve the working lives of seafarers as the pandemic recedes.
Today we hear from Brandt Wagner, the International Labour Organization’s point man for shipping, who reflects on what lessons can be learned from the past six months as well as discussing what amendments might be on the cards for the Maritime Labour Convention.
The final episode of the Wallem-sponsored mini-series comes out next Thursday.
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So the most pressing question right now: How can we escape from ILO hellish conventions ?
The only way is to tell them recruit seafarers in their legislative body.
Unfortunately the convention is now being used by shipowners, flag states and sadly even most port
states as a means to keep seafarers on ships— by my estimation up to 16 months now. Mr. Wagner let the cat out of the bag, it is perfectly fine by the ILO if seafarers give consent and sign an extension. The problem is that seafarers are entirely exploitable. We all know this! Many, many shipowners are now using coercion to avoid sending crew home even when they could. And many poorly trained or uncaring port state authorities are letting them away with it. This happened in Canada yesterday. We all know flag states won’t lift a finger. The system relies on the most exploitable party to the convention to lift their heads above the parapet and risk their career. The seafarers are suffering and we are all to blame. It is time for the P-MOU and T-MOU to show bloody leadership.
The MLC has never been and never will be a convention to secure the Seafarer’s rights! It was never designed to be so! Although it was touted to be the Seafarer’s convention… by waving a few clauses that seemingly safeguarded certain aspects of human rights (termed Seafarer’s rights), the MLC only imposed responsibilities on the seafarer. For times when the going gets tough… MLC ensured the onus was on the seafarer whether to accept a deviation from (violation of) their rights or demand their rights and sacrifice their jobs. So the MLC has really been a spineless convention with much written and laid down for the Seafarer’s to swallow and nothing that will positively support a seafarer!