ILO and MLC compliance

​Seafarer numbers

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) holds information regarding seafarer numbers and convention compliance by Jersey ship owners. 

Where they have not already done so, owners and skippers (masters) must send the following information to the British Register of Ships in Jersey:

1. name of vessel
2. name of skipper (master)
3. number of seafarers normally employed and their role eg mate, engineer, cook, deck-hand etc (in this context, seafarers, whether in Jersey pleasure yachts or commercially coded vessels, do not require a written contract of service to be regarded as employed. Receipt of wages or a requirement to carry out orders in the running of the vessel both contribute to an implied contract of service)

Seamen’s Articles of Agreement Convention, 1926

This convention applies to internationally trading commercial vessels over 100 gross tons. 

This convention is still in force in Jersey, however, any vessel holding Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006 Documents of Compliance are deemed to be compliant with this convention.

Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006

The MLC came into force on 20 August 2013, and for Jersey-registered commercial vessels there are two important things to note:

• if the vessel employs or engages seafarers in any work capacity, then already being compliant or conditionally compliant with Part 2 of the Jersey Code of Safety Practice means that the vessel is compliant with the MLC
• if the seafarers are employed through a Jersey recruitment or placement service, in order to be compliant with the MLC, their employm​ent must be in line with the Employment Agencies (Registration) (Code of Conduct) (Jersey) Order 1970

Download Jersey Code of Safety Practice for yachts and small ships (129kb)

Download the Employment Agencies (Registration) (Code of Conduct) (Jersey) Order 1970 on Jersey Law website (276kb)