Offshore Industry: Continental Shelf

(asked on 12th February 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure that crewing agencies used by Prosafe on accommodation vessels contracted for work in the UK Continental Shelf are compliant with the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Recruitment and Placement) Regulations 2014.


Answered by
Nusrat Ghani Portrait
Nusrat Ghani
Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
This question was answered on 18th February 2019

The Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Recruitment and Placement) Regulations apply only to employment businesses and employment agencies based in the United Kingdom. They, along with other UK legislation regulating employment businesses and employment agencies, enshrine the requirements of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 in respect of recruitment and placement services in UK law and are enforced by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), on behalf of the Secretary of State, enforces the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Minimum requirements for seafarers etc.) Regulations 2014. These Regulations implement the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC) requirement that the shipowner must ensure that seafarers on board the ship are recruited from employment businesses or employment agencies which are compliant with the MLC. The shipowner is also responsible for ensuring that the seafarers’ living and working conditions are compliant with UK regulations

Seafarers have the right to complain, if they are not receiving their entitlements, to the shipowner. If the seafarer does not receive a satisfactory response, they can then complain to the ships flag State or to the MCA, as the port State.

These provisions do not cover offshore workers who are not seafarers working or staying on board accommodation vessels contracted for work in the UK Continental Shelf.

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