THE UN's International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), which sets out the labour rights of the world's 1.2 million seafarers, has been ratified by 30 countries and will go into effect in a year's time.
"This is great news for the world's more than 1.2 million seafarers," said ILO director general Juan Somavia. "It was a dream of the ILO as early as 1920."
"This is great news for the world's more than 1.2 million seafarers," said IMO legal chief Rosalie Balkin.
The UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO) also welcomed the ILO convention, setting minimum requirements for almost all aspects of working conditions for seafarers.
Hong Kong's Arthur Bowring, labour affairs chairman of the International Shipping Federation, representing shipowners and managers, said he expects more countries will ratify the convention over the coming year.
The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), another UN affiliate and the ISF welcomed the news, but warned that shipowners will need to ensure they are ready before the new regime comes into force.
"This convention is the result of tripartite negotiation over a lengthy period, which means that the labour standards which we have all agreed can be supported by governments, shipowners and seafarers giving us a uniform global framework of sound employment standards that is required by both shipowners and seafarers," he said.
The measure was adopted unanimously in 2006 but there were two requirements still had to be met before it could come into force. With the ratification of Russia and the Philippines fulfils the requirement that at least 30 ILO member states have already ratified the convention. The other requirement - that ratifying countries represent 33 per cent of the world's gross shipping tonnage - was met in 2009.
Under the charter, every seafarer has the right to a safe and secure workplace that complies with safety standards; fair terms of employment; decent working and living conditions onboard ship; health protection, medical care, welfare measures and other forms of social protection.
Signatories include Liberia, Marshall Islands, Bahamas, Panama, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Spain, Croatia, Bulgaria, Canada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Switzerland, Benin, Singapore, Denmark, Antigua and Barbuda, Latvia, Luxembourg, Kiribati, Netherlands, Australia, St Kitts and Nevis, Tuvalu, Togo, Poland, Palau, Sweden, Cyprus, Russian Federation and the Philippines.