Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC) is considered a significant milestone in realizing the rights of seafarers. Before MLC there have been treaties and recommendations of International Labour Organisation (ILO) for the amelioration of the working conditions of seafarers. MLC 2006 has been successful in consolidating provisions of these pre-existing instruments which were dealing with various issues related to Maritime Labour. MLC has done away with the problem of fragmentation in international law. It has made the ratification process easier for the states; before MLC states had to ratify multiple treaties on various aspects of Marine Labour issues but now only MLC has to be ratified. This has saved time and resources.
MLC highlights the basic rights that every seafarer possesses. Some of the most important rights are those related to repatriation, accommodation, medical care, access to seafarer welfare centers and social security protection. MLC sets out the minimum requirement for the seafarer to work on the ship like minimum age, medical fitness, training, etc. It also talks about conditions of employment which include minimum working hours, wages, leaves, and other related matters.
