Maritime labour recruitment and placement services

Maritime labour requirements for recruitment and placement

Operating as a private seafarer recruitment and placement service

The Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) requires companies that operate as private seafarer recruitment and placement services (RPS) to meet specified standards when placing seafarers on ships.

The convention defines an RPS provider as a company whose primary purpose is the recruitment and placement of seafarers, or a company that recruits and places a significant number of seafarers.

An RPS provider must not charge a person intending to obtain employment as a seafarer a fee for placement. However, a reasonable fee may be charged for assistance in obtaining documentation needed to gain employment on a vessel. This is limited to the following documents:

• certificate of medical fitness
• seafarer’s qualification
• national seafarers’ record book
• passport
• travel documents (other than a visa).

An RPS provider must verify qualifications and documentation for each seafarer for whom it provides services, including that the seafarer:

• is qualified to carry out the duties for which they are employed
• holds all necessary documentation required for those duties
• has a seafarer’s employment agreement that complies with the relevant legislation that applies to them.

An RPS provider must keep records for all persons recruited or placed on a vessel, including:

• the seafarer’s qualifications
• the seafarer’s record of employment with that service provider
• personal data relevant to that person’s employment
• medical data relevant to that person’s employment.

When placing a seafarer on board a vessel, the RPS provider must, so far as practicable, ensure that the vessel owner has insurance in place to protect seafarers against stranding.

Learn more about the Maritime Labour Convention

Learn more about your responsibilities under the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC), including which ships MLC applies to, how to obtain a Maritime Labour Certificate, and key obligations to seafarers.