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Representation of seafarers’ occupational safety and health: Limits of the Maritime Labour Convention

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

Carolyn AE Graham*
Affiliation:
University of Technology, Jamaica
David Walters
Affiliation:
Cardiff University, UK
*
Carolyn AE Graham, School of Business Administration, University of Technology, Jamaica, 237 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6, Jamaica. Email: carolynaeg@gmail.com

Abstract

This article assesses the regulatory steer provided by the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, against the research evidence as to what works in making for effective worker representation and consultation on occupational safety and health. Based on the testimony of seafarers and regulatory agencies, it demonstrates that the Maritime Labour Convention provisions lack the necessary elements for an effective regulatory steer. This is because the conditions shown to support this form of representation are absent from or underdeveloped in the shipboard work environment. The article concludes with some suggested ways to enhance the Convention’s provisions to achieve a more positive effect for seafarers.

Type
Labour rights of seafarers
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2020

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