Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC)
Status: In force — the seafarers' bill of rights: employment agreements, wages, rest hours, and welfare, certified and inspected worldwide.
What Is It?
The Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 — the "seafarers' bill of rights" — consolidates more than sixty ILO maritime labour instruments into a single, globally enforced framework covering minimum requirements for seafarers working on ships: conditions of employment, accommodation and recreational facilities, food and catering, health protection, medical care, welfare, and social security protection.
For operators, MLC compliance runs through two core documents: the Maritime Labour Certificate and the Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance (DMLC), which together evidence that the ship and its shipowner meet the convention's fourteen inspection areas. Underneath sit the operational obligations — seafarer employment agreements (SEAs) in prescribed form, timely wage payment, minimum hours of rest with compliant records, manning agency due diligence, onboard medical care arrangements, and the onboard complaint procedure.
The convention is amended on a rolling cycle through the Special Tripartite Committee. The 2014 amendments introduced mandatory financial security for repatriation and abandonment — with certificates displayed on board — and the 2022 amendments, in force since December 2024, strengthened provisions on drinking water, medical care ashore, repatriation of deceased seafarers, and recruitment cost protections. MLC is enforced through both flag state certification and aggressive port state control, where rest-hour and wage deficiencies are increasingly common detention grounds.
Who It Affects
MLC applies to all ships ordinarily engaged in commercial activities, other than fishing vessels, ships of traditional build, and warships — with certification mandatory for ships of 500 GT and above on international voyages. The "shipowner" as defined bears the compliance obligation regardless of commercial arrangements, and crewing managers, manning agencies, and masters carry delegated duties. Effectively every internationally trading merchant vessel and its entire crew fall under the convention, as port state control applies MLC to ships of non-ratifying flags through the no-more-favourable-treatment principle.
Key Dates
MLC 2006 enters into force
2014 amendments in force — mandatory financial security for repatriation and abandonment
2022 amendments in force — drinking water, shore medical care, repatriation, and recruitment cost protections
Ongoing Special Tripartite Committee cycle continues reviewing seafarer protection standards
Requirements
- Hold a valid Maritime Labour Certificate with the Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance (Parts I and II)
- Provide every seafarer with a compliant seafarer employment agreement (SEA) before joining
- Pay wages at intervals no longer than monthly, with accurate accounts and allotment arrangements
- Comply with minimum hours of rest (10 hours in any 24, 77 hours in any 7 days) and maintain compliant rest-hour records
- Display valid financial security certificates for repatriation and shipowner liability on board
- Ensure seafarers hold valid medical certificates and have access to prompt medical care on board and ashore
- Operate a compliant onboard complaint procedure and use only licensed or regulated recruitment and placement services
- Meet accommodation, catering, and food standards, with documented inspections by the master or designee
Penalties & Non-Compliance
MLC deficiencies are enforceable detention grounds in every major port state control regime — unpaid wages, missing or non-compliant SEAs, falsified rest-hour records, and expired financial security certificates are among the most frequent findings. Flag states can withdraw the Maritime Labour Certificate, and the ITF and welfare organizations actively pursue wage claims and abandonment cases, which since the 2014 amendments trigger the shipowner's mandatory financial security. Beyond direct sanctions, MLC failures carry acute reputational and charter-party consequences as cargo interests audit crew welfare performance.
How CyberSmart Helps
These modules directly support your MLC 2006 compliance workflow.
Keep crew compliance continuously green
See how CyberSmart manages MLC obligations, rest-hour compliance, and the crew training and logistics behind them.