The 2006 Maritime Labour Convention provides comprehensive rights and protection for the world’s seafarers.
The Federal Government on Wednesday approved the domestication of the 2006 Maritime Labour Convention, MLC, which provides comprehensive rights and protection at work for the world’s seafarers.
This was one of the two memos deliberated on, during a brief Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo.
The other was the receipt of a preliminary report on the Canada Conference held in Toronto.
Ministers who attended the conference gave reports of the successful hosting of the convention while the report showed that the reform program of the federal government received positive global reviews.
Briefing journalists after the weekly meeting Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, alongside his labour and transport counterparts, Emeka Nwogu and Idris Umar, said for seven years, Nigeria has been unable to domesticate the agreement despite the various advantages attached to doing so.
Mr. Maku said Council deliberated and further approved the joint memorandum submitted for the domestication by Messrs Wogu and Idris and forwarded it to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Muhammad Bello Adoke, to prepare the legal instrument.
The MLC is an auxiliary of the International Labour Organization, ILO, convention established as the fourth pillar of the international maritime law embodying various extant international maritime labour conventions and recommendations, as well as the fundamental principles to be found in other international labour conventions.
According to Mr. Wogu “the code of the convention contains five titles: minimum requirements for seafarers to work on a ship, conditions of employment, accommodation, recreational facilities, food and catering, health protection, medical care, welfare and social security protection as well as compliance and enforcement”.
Mr. Umar said that the advantage of the agreement to Nigeria, is that it will benefit young Nigerians who will get employment as seafarers in the international seafaring business.
“There are already 4,362 Nigerians who are currently working on board international ships across the globe. The domestication will further give them coverage on all the items in the convention’s code” he added.
The convention is expected to come into force by August 1.
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