ILO body adopts new minimum monthly wage for seafarers

GENEVA – A Subcommittee of the Joint Maritime Commission (JMC) of the International Labour Organization (ILO) has agreed on a Resolution raising the minimum monthly basic wage figure for able seafarers from US$585 to US$592, as of 1 January 2015 and US$614, as of 1 January 2016.

 

The mechanism for setting the minimum monthly wage for able seafarers is the only one in the ILO for setting the basic wage for any industry.

 

The minimum monthly basic wage figure for able seafarers has most recently been included in the ILO’s Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006).

 

The Convention, known as the “seafarers’ bill of rights”, entered into force on 20 August 2013, and has been ratified by 56 ILO member States representing over 80 per cent of world shipping tonnage.

 

The Joint Maritime Commission is the only permanent bipartite standing body of the ILO. It dates back to 1920, and is composed of ship-owner and seafarer representatives from across the globe.