ILO body adopts new minimum monthly wage for seafarers
The mechanism is the only one in the ILO for setting the basic wage for any industry.
A Subcommittee of the Joint Maritime Commission (JMC) of the International Labour Organization (ILO) has agreed on a Resolution raising the minimum monthly basic wage figure for able seafarers from US$585 to US$592, as of 1 January 2015 and US$614, as of 1 January 2016.
The mechanism for setting the minimum monthly wage for able seafarers is the only one in the ILO for setting the basic wage for any industry. The minimum monthly basic wage figure for able seafarers has most recently been included in the ILO’s Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006).
This announcement is particularly relevant to the Pacific Islands as the international maritime sector is an important source of jobs and income in small economies such as the Marshall Islands, Palau, Kiribati and Tuvalu, all of whom have ratified the Convention. While remittances from seafarers employed on foreign ships constitute an important source of income, such employment can also present significant risks for seafarers. The MLC,2006 provides important protections for these workers.
The Maritime Labour Convention, known as the “seafarers’ bill of rights”, entered into force on 20 August 2013, and has been ratified by 56 ILO member States representing over 80 per cent of world shipping tonnage.
The ILO Office for Pacific Island Countries is working closely with its ratifying member States to facilitate the effective and timely implementation of this new Convention. For most countries the initial focus is to ensure maritime and labour laws and policies, fully apply the MLC. The ILO Office of Pacific Island Countries has provided support to countries in the region undertake gap analyses to assist in identifying an changes to existing legislation to give effect to the Convention. The Office has also provided assistance to enable officials in the region to attend training at the Martime Labour Academy at the ILO Training Centre in Turin.
The mechanism for setting the minimum monthly wage for able seafarers is the only one in the ILO for setting the basic wage for any industry. The minimum monthly basic wage figure for able seafarers has most recently been included in the ILO’s Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006).
This announcement is particularly relevant to the Pacific Islands as the international maritime sector is an important source of jobs and income in small economies such as the Marshall Islands, Palau, Kiribati and Tuvalu, all of whom have ratified the Convention. While remittances from seafarers employed on foreign ships constitute an important source of income, such employment can also present significant risks for seafarers. The MLC,2006 provides important protections for these workers.
The Maritime Labour Convention, known as the “seafarers’ bill of rights”, entered into force on 20 August 2013, and has been ratified by 56 ILO member States representing over 80 per cent of world shipping tonnage.
The ILO Office for Pacific Island Countries is working closely with its ratifying member States to facilitate the effective and timely implementation of this new Convention. For most countries the initial focus is to ensure maritime and labour laws and policies, fully apply the MLC. The ILO Office of Pacific Island Countries has provided support to countries in the region undertake gap analyses to assist in identifying an changes to existing legislation to give effect to the Convention. The Office has also provided assistance to enable officials in the region to attend training at the Martime Labour Academy at the ILO Training Centre in Turin.