UN To Review Seafarer Work Hours As Study Reveals Alarming 74% Overwork
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is set to review work-rest regulations for seafarers at the Special Tripartite Committee of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) in April 2025 in Geneva.
The decision has been made after a detailed report has revealed that seafarers work much more than the global standards, often violating mandatory rest periods.
A 2022 survey by the World Maritime University (WMU), conducted among 9,000 seafarers, found that maritime workers spend an average of 11.5 hours per day on duty, leading to a 74.9-hour workweek-far exceeding the global average of 43 hours per week as recorded by the ILO in 2018.
Despite international regulations, 28.1% of seafarers admitted to resting less than the required 10 hours per day, which violates rest-hour rules. The study also found that only 7 hours of sleep per day was common, raising serious concerns about fatigue.
78% of seafarers reported not getting a single full day off during their entire contract period- a direct contradiction to the spirit of the Maritime Labour Convention.
Additionally, 88.3% of respondents confessed to exceeding work/rest limits at least once a month, wit…
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