Dealing with agencies is often the riskiest step in finding a job at sea. The MLC sets a clear principle: every seafarer must have access to an efficient, adequate and accountable system for finding employment on board without charge to the seafarer (Regulation 1.4).
What can you be charged?
Under Standard A1.4, no fees or other charges for recruitment or placement may be borne by the seafarer, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part. The only costs you may pay yourself are:
- your national statutory medical certificate,
- your national seafarer's book,
- your passport or similar personal travel document.
Visas are not on that list: visa costs are borne by the shipowner.
Image: Rossographer / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
What private agencies must do
Recruitment and placement services operating in a country that has ratified the MLC must:
- be licensed, certified or otherwise regulated;
- not use blacklists or other mechanisms to keep seafarers out of jobs they are qualified for;
- keep an up-to-date register of seafarers placed;
- let you examine your agreement before and after signing and give you a copy;
- verify that your documents and agreement comply with the law;
- make sure, as far as practicable, that the shipowner can protect you from being stranded abroad;
- examine and respond to complaints;
- have insurance or an equivalent system to compensate you for monetary loss if the agency or shipowner fails to meet its obligations.
Warning signs of a scam
- Up-front payment for "registration", "training" or "guaranteed visas".
- Refusing to show the contract before signing or to give you a copy.
- Company name, address or vessel details that cannot be verified.
On Faroys, listings are free and seafarers contact employers directly. Still, run these checks on every offer — and read our guide on how to spot and avoid crewing scams.
Source: ILO, Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 — Regulation 1.4, Standard A1.4. This article is based on the MLC 2006 text published by the ILO and is for general information. Your flag State's law or your collective agreement may give you more favourable terms; in a specific dispute, talk to your union or a lawyer.
Full series: MLC 2006 Guide: Seafarers' Rights
