Why hasn’t PH ratified Maritime Labor Convention?

Known as “the crewing capital of the world,” with more than 300,000 Filipinos working on maritime decks all over the globe, the Philippines must prioritize the ratification of Maritime Labor Convention of 2006 (MLC 2006), according to Bantay OCW maritime lawyer Dennis Gorecho.

Speaking over Bantay OCW’s “Seafarer’s Hour” over Radyo Inquirer 990 AM, Gorecho noted that various seafarer groups have been calling on the Aquino government to give priority to the ratification of the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) maritime convention.

Dubbed the new ‘Bill of Rights’ of seafarers, this is an important new convention that was adopted by the ILO at a maritime session in February 2006 in Geneva, Switzerland. It will set minimum working standards and insist on comprehensive rights and protection for  seafarers.

With the recent ratification by Australia of the MLC 2006 on Dec. 14, 2011, 22 ILO member states have already ratified this important convention. It lacks eight more ratifications to get the required 30 signatures that will bring the MLC 2006 into force.

The 22 countries that have already ratified the convention are Liberia, Marshall Islands, Bahamas, Panama, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Spain, Croatia, Bulgaria, Canada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Switzerland, Gabon, Benin, Singapore, Denmark, Latvia, Antigua and Barbuda, the Government of Luxembourg, Kiribati, the Netherlands and Australia.

MLC 2006 consolidates and updates more than 68 international labor standards related to the maritime sector adopted over the last 80 years.

Countries that ratify the convention will require ship owners to put international standards in place before allowing seafarers aboard. Ratifying countries will have the right to inspect vessels for compliance before port calls are allowed. The convention also gives these countries the right to deny ships that are not compliant from sailing onwards—regardless of whether or not the countries they are registered in have ratified the convention.

As a major supplier of maritime labor globally, the Philippines will definitely be one of the major beneficiaries of this convention.

Gorecho cannot understand why the Philippines is dilly-dallying in ratifying it.

Please tune in to the Seafarer’s Hour of Bantay OCW every Thursday from 7 to 8:30  p.m., Radyo Inquirer 990 AM, with regular program cohosts Kabalikat ng Marino President Leo Santiago, PTC VP for Operations Capt. Ronaldo Enrile, PTC AVP for Crewing Operations engineer Peter Lugue, OSM President Rear Adm. Adonis Donato and attorney Gorecho. –Susan K, Philippine Daily Inquirer