THE “HORROR STORIES” told by cruise ship workers will soon become a thing of the past since Government has ratified the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006.
Acting Prime Minister Richard Sealy said that for the first time, cruise ship workers in Barbados will be protected by international law.
“Countries all over the world have been working to improve the conditions and safety of seafarers. I have the pleasure to report that on the 20th of June, 2013, the Government of Barbados deposited with the ILO the instrument of ratification of the MLC 2006, which came into force [worldwide] on August 20, 2013.
“The International Maritime Organization (IMO) along with the ILO is keen to see that certain minimum standards are maintained in terms of the basic conditions you would expect. Barbados registers ships, so we have to incorporate these agreements that are made at these conventions into our local law.
“Much of it is there already with our existing labour legislation but we have to go the extra step to make sure we have covered everything we are expected to cover.
“In short, it is to prevent horror stories such as sleeping on the floor; not getting proper meals and having to work horrendous hours without rest – sad to say, that has happened,” he said, adding the convention stipulated that everyone working on a cruise ship was classified as a seafarer and would thus be covered by the convention.
Sealy, who is also Minister of International Transport, was speaking on Saturday at the International Transport Division’s Day Of The Seafarer award ceremony and cruise, on the Wickham-Lewis boardwalk, The City.
He said the convention would set out the minimum rights for seafarers; promote good employments practices across the shipping industry; stipulate access to medical care and ensure decent working conditions and working standards.
“This is significant for Barbados. We keep saying the cruise industry is one we can look to get our people aboard but unfortunately many of the practices on the cruise ships have been suspect.
“But by our ratification of this convention and the determination of the IMO, cruise ships will also fall under the ambit of this convention,” he said.
Sealy also spoke on the country’s efforts to increase its ships registry, especially large yachts.
“It is an ongoing challenge. We have a very good reputation; we make sure minimum standards are obtained. We want to continue to develop the ship registry; I think there is a lot of potential and it could be a serious earner of foreign exchange for Barbados. The idea is when we go abroad to promote our offerings for ‘yachties’, we could also provide opportunities for them to register here,” he said, adding Barbados had the means to attract the “big boys”.
The ceremony featured awards for four men credited with helping Barbados develop, ensuring their hard work, dedication and bravery was never forgotten. They are Captain George Fergusson – who was given the maritime development and infrastructure award; the late Richard “Dirt” Holder – who was posthumously awarded for bravery in exceptional circumstances; Louis Forde – who was given an award for the development of the seafaring industry; and Rhyan Hackett – who was given a special minister’s award for outstanding performance in maritime studies. (CA)
