Seafarers’ rights receive greater protection
Nautilus International welcomes ruling by International Labour Organisation.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has found that governments contravened seafarers’ rights and failed to comply with several aspects of the Maritime Labour Convention during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nautilus International made the statement in a press release and contends that the ruling sends a strong message to governments around the world.
The ILO’s ruling represents a landmark in seafarers’ rights and reminds governments of their duty of care towards mariners in respect of access to healthcare, repatriation, annual leave, and shore leave.
Mark Dickinson, Nautilus International general secretary, said: ‘The ILO Committee of Experts has sent a welcome and an unequivocal message to states that have ratified the MLC – there are no longer any excuses for denying seafarers their rights to repatriation, shore leave, and access to medical care ashore.”
Active in national and international fora, Nautilus International has campaigned vigorously for mariners’ rights throughout the Covid crisis and launched its Crew Change for Christmas campaign on December 1st. The full ILO Committee of Experts findings can be viewed here.
