A Study on the Establishment of International Conventions on Seafarer’s Woking Hours and the Inclusion of Maritime Safety

Abstract

According to MLC adopted by IMO and ILO, working standards for seafarers allow 14-hour workday(24hours) and 72-hour work a week(7days), which is not following the Working Time Convention. On land, the working standards of 8-hour workday, 5 days a week(40hours) was settled over a century ago. But these labor standards are not applied at sea and the basic rights of seafarers are limited. And above limitations are justified on the grounds of 'speciality at sea'. This study suggests the ways to improve maritime working conditions and future prospects after investigates the history and background of downgrading of sea labor standards that have been applied so far to all seafarers including fishing crew members and highlights on crew fatigue management focused on maritime safety prior to the health and welfare of seafarers.