MLC 2006 titles 1 to 5: regulations, guidance and information
Guidance on the 5 titles of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006, and the regulations applying to UK ships under each one.
Overview
The International Labour Organization (ILO)’s MLC, 2006 provides wide-ranging rights and protection at work for the world’s seafarers.
The MLC:
- sets minimum global standards for seafarers’ living and working conditions
- combines and updates more than 68 maritime-related international labour standards, produced over the last 80 years
- makes it easier for governments and ship owners to apply the system, and provide decent working conditions
The UK ratified (agreed to adopt) the MLC on 7 August 2013, with it coming into force on 7 August 2014.
Marine guidance note (MGN) 471 explains the UK’s understanding of important terms used in the MLC.
How the MLC is organised
There are 3 main parts:
- articles, which set out the broad principles and responsibilities
- regulations, which set out the basic requirements
- the Code, made up of standards (Part A) and guidelines (Part B), which fall into the 5 titles
What the MLC covers
- Title 1: minimum requirements for seafarers to work on a ship - age, and medical and training certificates
- Title 2: conditions of employment – wages, working hours, rest and leave; career development
- Title 3: seafarers’ accommodation, leisure facilities, and on board catering standards
- Title 4: health and safety, medical care, access to on-shore welfare facilities
- Title 5: complaints, inspections, responsibilities of the flag and port states
What the MLC doesn’t cover
The convention doesn’t apply to:
- ships navigating only in inland waters
- ships navigating waters in, or close to, sheltered waters - or areas where port regulations apply
- ships involved in fishing
- ships of traditional build, such as dhows and junks
- warships or naval auxiliaries
- ships not normally used in commercial activities
MLC Statutory Instruments
SI 2014/1613 The Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Minimum Requirements for Seafarers etc.) Regulations 2014 applies to the following titles numbered; 1.1, 1.4, 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1 & 4.2
SI 2014/1614 The Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Consequential and Minor Amendments) Regulations 2014 applies to the following titles numbered; 1.2 & 2.2
SI 2014/1615 The Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Recruitment and Placement) Regulations 2014 applies to title; 1.4
SI 2014/1616 The Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Health and Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2014
MLC Small commercial vessels
Please follow this link for further information for small commercial vessels and refer to;
Title 1: minimum requirements to work on a ship
Title 1, regulation 1.1: minimum age
“Purpose: to ensure that no under-age persons work on a ship.” (MLC, 2006)
Regulations and guidance
MSN 1838 Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: Minimum Age
Please note: the application of the minimum age provisions is changing to include all young seafarers, regardless of their employment status.
Title 1, regulation 1.2: medical certificates
“Purpose: to ensure that all seafarers are medically fit to perform their duties at sea.” (MLC, 2006)
Regulations and guidance
Statutory Instrument 2010/737 is available at www.legislation.gov.uk, and gives guidance on applying the medical certification regulations.
Read ‘Seafarers: medical certification guidance’
Title 1, regulation 1.3: training and qualifications
“Purpose: to ensure that seafarers are trained or qualified to carry out their duties on board ship.” (MLC, 2006)
Regulations and guidance
SI 2015/782 The Merchant Shipping (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) Regulations 2015
Refer to the Manila Amendments and additional Merchant Shipping Notes below this paragraph, for information on how they affect seafarer training certificates for merchant navy officers, ratings, and yacht officers.
MSN 1015 Training for Masters and Chief Mates of Large Ships and ships with unusual manoeuvring characteristics.
MSN 1740 Training and Certification of Officers and Crew on High Speed Craft.
MSN 1862 Seafarer Training and Certification Guidance: UK Requirements for Deck Ratings.
MSN 1863 Training and Certification Guidance: UK Requirements for Engine Room Ratings.
MSN 1864 Training and Certification Guidance: UK Requirements for Radio Operators.
MSN 1867 Training and Certification Guidance: UK Requirements for the recognition of non-UK Certification leading to the issue of a Certificate of Equivalent Competency (CEC).
MSN 1868 Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Convention: UK Requirements for Safe Manning and Watchkeeping.
Further information
- The Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) provides information on education, training and skills for the shipping industry
- The Maritime Skills Alliance (MSA) develops the skills standards for the maritime sector
- The UK seafarer careers: training provision and information provides further details on careers and training provision.
Title 1, regulation 1.4: recruitment and placement
“Purpose: to ensure that seafarers have access to an efficient and well-regulated seafarer recruitment and placement system.” (MLC, 2006)
Regulations and guidance
MGN 475 Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: Recruitment and Placement
MGN 476 gives advice to seafarers about their protection, rights and entitlements under the MLC, 2006. This helps them decide if they should work on a ship registered with a non MLC-ratified country.
List of recruitment and placement agencies with voluntary certificates of conformity
Title 2: conditions of employment
Title 2, regulation 2.1: Seafarers’ Employment Agreements (SEAs)
“Purpose: to ensure seafarers have a fair employment agreement.” (MLC, 2006)
MGN 477(M) Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: Seafarers’ Employment Agreements
MGN 485 provides guidance on training agreements.
Recommended formats
Download and use these model formats as templates for your own documents;
- outer cover for list of crew and list of young persons (MSF 4156)
- list of crew and signatures of seafarers (MSF 4157)
- list of young persons (MSF 4158)
Use this model format for a seafarer agreement as a basis for your documents, updated 20th August 2020:
Word copy for editing.
Title 2, regulation 2.2: wages
“Purpose: to ensure seafarers are paid for their services.” (MLC, 2006)
Guidance
MGN 478(M) Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: Seafarer’s Wages
Title 2, regulation 2.3: hours of work and rest, and 2.4: entitlement to leave
“Purpose: to ensure that seafarers have regulated hours of work, or hours of rest”, and “…to ensure that seafarers have adequate leave.” (MLC, 2006).
Regulations and guidance
SI 2018/58 Merchant Shipping (Hours of Work) Regulations :
MSN 1877 Amendment 1 gives information about applying the regulations to do with seafarers’ hours of work and entitlement to leave.
Title 2, regulation 2.5: repatriation
“Purpose: to ensure that seafarers are able to return home.” (MLC, 2006)
Regulations and guidance
Section 73 of the Merchant Shipping Act outlines the provisions for relief, repatriation, and relief costs.
MGN 479(M) Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: Repatriation
Title 2, regulation 2.6: seafarer compensation for the ship’s loss or foundering
“Purpose: to ensure that seafarers are compensated when a ship is lost or had foundered” (MLC, 2006)
Regulations and guidance
Section 38 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 gives further information about the right (or loss of the right) to seafarers’ or masters’ wages in certain situations.
See also MGN 480 (M) Amendment 2, under title 4 regulation 4.2
Title 2, regulation 2.7: manning levels
“Purpose: to ensure that seafarers work on board ships with sufficient personnel for the safe, efficient and secure operation of the ship/” (MLC, 2006)
Regulations and guidance
SI 1997/1320: ‘The (Safe Manning, Hours of Work and Watchkeeping) Regulations 1997’, except regulations 6 to 10.
Read MSN 1877 Amendment 1 and MSN 1868 for information and guidance on the hours of work, safe manning and watchkeeping regulations..
Please note: for hours of work, the 1997 provisions were replaced by the Hours of Work Regulations 2002, as above.
Apply for a safe manning document (MSF 4227)
Title 2, regulation 2.8: career and skill development; opportunities for seafarers’ employment
“Purpose: to promote career and skill development and employment opportunities for seafarers” (MLC, 2006)
Career and skill development: further information
Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB)
Maritime Skills Alliance (MSA)
Title 3: accommodation, recreational facilities, food and catering
Title 3, regulation 3.1: crew accommodation and recreational facilities
“Purpose: to ensure that seafarers have decent accommodation and recreational facilities on board” (MLC, 2006)
Regulations and guidance
Read 21A and 21B in the ‘Large Commercial Yacht Code’ (LY3) for details of seafarer’s accommodation standards on large commercial yachts, equivalent to those required by the MLC.
MSN 1844(M) Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: Crew Accommodation
MGN 481(M) Amendment 1 Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: Crew Accommodation - Supplementary Guidance
Title 3, regulation 3.2: food and catering
“Purpose: to ensure that seafarers have access to good quality food and drinking water provided under regulated hygienic conditions.” (MLC, 2006)
Regulations and guidance
MSN 1845(M) Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: Food & Catering - Provision of Food and Fresh Water
MSN 1846(M) Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: Food & Catering - Ships Cooks and Catering Staff
MIN 559 (M) Maritime Labour Convention 2006: Food & Catering-recognised qualifications
MSF 4395 - Application for Ships Cooks Certificate of Competency
Title 4: health protection, medical care, welfare and social security protection
Title 4, regulation 4.1: medical care aboard ship and ashore
“Purpose: To protect the health of seafarers and ensure their prompt access to medical care on board ship at shore.” (MLC, 2006)
Regulations and guidance
MGN 482(M) Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: Medical Care
MGN 225 provides information on getting radio medical advice when a medical incident or emergency arises while at sea
MGN 296 outlines the possible effects of prescription or over-the-counter drugs on a seafarer’s performance while working at sea
MSN 1841 provides information on the qualifying criteria for a medical practitioner to work as a ship’s doctor on a UK ship.
Confidential medical report form (MSF 4155)
MSN 1905 (M+F) gives information on applying these SIs, and lists the medical stores to be carried
MIN 659 (M+F) should be read in conjunction with MSN 1905 (M+F).
- 1995/1802: The Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessel (Medical Stores) Regulations 1995
- 1996/2821: The Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Medical Stores) (Amendment) Regulations 1996
Title 4, regulation 4.2: shipowners’ liability
“Purpose: To ensure that seafarers are protected from the financial consequences of sickness, injury or death occurring in connection with their employment.” (MLC, 2006)
Regulations and guidance
Title 4, regulation 4.3: health and safety protection and accident prevention
“Purpose: To ensure that seafarers’ work environment on board ships promotes occupational safety and health” (MLC, 2006)
MSN 1850(M) Maritime Labour Convention, 2006: Health and Safety Reporting of Occupational Diseases
MSF 4159 Occupational disease report form for UK registered merchant ships.
Regulations and guidance
SI 1997/2962: The Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Health and Safety at Work) Regulations1997
SI 2012/1743: The Merchant Shipping (Accident and Investigation) Regulations 2012
MGN 20is about the requirements of the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Health and Safety at Work) Regulations
See the ‘Code of safe working practices for merchant seafarers (COSWP), its annexes.
MCA health and safety leaflets and posters
Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB)
Title 4, regulation 4.4: access to shore-based welfare facilities
“Purpose: To ensure that seafarers working on board a ship, have access to shore-based facilities and services to secure their health and well-being” (MLC, 2006)
Regulations and guidance
Read MGN 486 about the UK’s arrangements for seafarers’ welfare under the MLC, 2006.
Read MGN 370 for information about the Dreadnought Medical Service for seafarers, given at Guy’s Hospital and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London.
Seafarers’ organisations
International Committee on Seafarers Welfare
The Merchant Navy Welfare Board (MNWB)
The Dreadnought Unit at Guy’s and St Thomas’ (NHS Foundation Trust)
Seafarers Advice and Information Line (S.A.I.L)
Title 4, regulation 4.5: social security
“Purpose: To ensure that measures are taken with a view to providing seafarers with access to social security protection.” (MLC, 2006)
Read HM Revenue & Customs’ tax information for seafarers
Title 5: compliance and enforcement
Title 5, regulation 5.1: Flag State responsibilities
“Purpose: to ensure that each Member implements its responsibilities under this Convention with respect to ships that fly its flag.” (MLC, 2006)
Regulations and guidance
Read MSN 1848 Amendment 3
- survey
- inspection
- certification
of seafarers’ living and working conditions on UK ships, in line with the MLC.
Download the Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance (DMLC) part I
Download the DMLC part II: maritime labour certificate (MSF 2401) and guidance
Complaints procedure for seafarers
Before doing anything else, you have to follow the on-board complaints procedure, as outlined in MSN 1849.
If you’re on a ship in a UK port and the complaint isn’t resolved, you can make an on-shore complaint to MCA.
There’s more guidance about making on-shore complaints under ‘Regulation 5.2: Port State responsibilities’.
Substantial equivalents
MGN 472 MLC 2006; Guidance on the procedure for applying for substantial equivalents
The following ‘substantial equivalents’ have been agreed by the Tripartite Working Group (TWG):
- applying crew accommodation requirements to large yachts
- applying crew accommodation requirements to vessels less than 200GT
- applying the crew accommodation to tugs
- applying crew accommodation requirements to large commercial yachts 3000GT or more
- dispensation allowing cadets to share a cabin
- hours of work and rest: accepting digital records
- UK Oil & Gas (UKOG) medical certificate: recognising it as ENG 1 equivalent (in certain circumstances)
- diver medical certificate: recognition as ENG 1 equivalent in certain circumstances
- pilot medical certificate: recognition as ENG 1 equivalent in certain circumstances
- recognition, in the right circumstances, of experience/standing as a chef as equivalent to ship’s cook certificate
For further information on these topics, or to have another ‘substantial equivalent’ considered, email the MLC 2006 Co-ordination Group.
Title 5, regulation 5.2: Port State responsibilities
“Purpose: To enable each member to implement its responsibilities under this Convention regarding international co-operation in the implementation and enforcement of the Convention standards on foreign ships.” (MLC, 2006)
MGN 487 Amendment 1 outlines the on-shore complaints process.
Send the details of your on-shore complaint to the MLC 2006 Co-ordination Group
Email: [email protected]
Contact Seafarer Safety and Health branch at MCA
Updates to this page
Published 1 May 2014Last updated 24 March 2021 + show all updates
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Updated reference from MSN 1768 to MSN 1905 and MIN 659
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Updated model seafarer employment agreement (SEA) 20 August 2020, as referenced under item 2.1 recommended formats.
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Updated Title 5, to include a link to MSN 1848 (M) amendment 2 seafarers living and working conditions.
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LInks repaired and new corrigendum added
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Changes to links for MGN 480 and SI 2018/58
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Updated link to MSN 1848 (M) Amendment 1: Seafarer Working & Living Conditions on UK Ships
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Ref to MGN 517 deleted as archived
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Updated - additional information provided under title 5 - MGN 472: MLC 2006 Guidance on the procedure for applying for a Substantial Equivalence.
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Update Title 3 - SI 2015/782 The Merchant Shipping (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) Regulations 2015
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Update; MLC Small Commercial Vessels, MGN 490 (Amend) & MGN 491 (Amend).
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Updated: SI 2014/1616 The Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Health and Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2014
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Updated Model format for a seafarer employment agreement (SEA) 11 March 2015
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MGN 490, MGN 491 and MGN 517 added (30/07/14)
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MLC regulations now in force
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First published.