Philippines
ratification marks global milestone for decent work for seafarers
The
Philippines is the 30th member to have its ratification registered
and join the group of the “First 30” ILO countries to demonstrate their
commitment to ensuring decent work for seafarers and a level playing field for
quality shipowners.
News
| 20 August 2012
GENEVA
(ILO News) – On 20 August 2012. Mr Dennis Y Lepatan, Chargé d’affaires,
Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations Office and other
International Organizations in Geneva representing the Government of the
Republic of the Philippines deposited its instrument of ratification of the
Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006) with Mr Juan Somavia,
Director-General of the International Labour Office. The registration of this
ratification marks a global milestone. The Philippines is the 30th Member to
have its ratification registered and join the group of the “first 30” ILO
countries to demonstrate their commitment to ensuring decent work for seafarer
and a level playing field for quality shipowners.
The
Philippines is the largest source of the world’s seafarers, with nearly
700,000, nearly half of which work overseas. The Philippines is the largest
source of the world’s seafaring workforce and the home of nearly one third – 30
per cent – of seafarers working on foreign flag ships. It also has a large
domestic fleet, with nearly as many seafarers working on Philippines flagged
ships.
Philippine
Secretary of Labour and Employment, Ms Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz, in hailing
the registration at the ILO of the Philippine instrument of ratification of the
MLC, 2006 as the 30th ratifying country, stated:
“Filipino
seafarers who make up 30 per cent of the seafarers on the global shipping
fleet, with 343,587 of them deployed on foreign flagged ships in 2011 alone,
will definitely benefit from the MLC, 2006 as of its entry into force. This is
also true with our seafarers working on domestic ships.
"I
am very pleased that the Philippines, as the 30th country to ratify the
Convention, has triggered its entry into force. This heralds an era of quality
shipping and strengthened protection of all seafarers.
"Our
country’s ratification of the MLC, 2006 highlights over a decade of involvement
of the Philippine government, through the DOLE, in global maritime affairs that
contributed to the adoption of the Convention in 2006. With the Convention, our
aim to achieve both decent work for seafarers and secure their economic
interest in fair competition of quality ship owners is within reach. This, in
itself, is a major contribution to global economic growth."
In
receiving the instrument of ratification, Mr Somavia commented:
This
is a tremendous step and I must offer my congratulations to the Philippines. I
am aware that despite many challenges faced by the Philippines, including
storms and floods in the last few weeks, the Senate of the Philippines
continued to move forward to review and agree on legislation to allow
ratification of this very important new international labour standard – a
“seafarers’ bill of rights”. This ratification is important not only to the
many Filipino seafarers who play such an essential role in the global maritime
industry; it is also important to seafarers and shipowners in all countries.
The Philippines ratification is the 30th to be registered by the ILO and with
the ratification I registered earlier this week, it means that the MLC, 2006
will now enter into force 12 months from today and when it does it will apply
to nearly 60 per cent of the world’s commercial fleet. This is indeed a major
milestone and with it we mark the culmination of over six years of concerted
activity in all regions – particularly in the Philippines, to reach this goal.
With the registration of this ratification we are also marking the date that 12
months from now will be the beginning of the international MLC, 2006 regime.
The
Philippines played an important leadership role in the five years of
international meetings to develop and adopt the text of the MLC, 2006.
Following a High-Level Tripartite Mission in 2006 the Philippines adopted a
nation Action Plan to allow it to move forward. This was followed by extensive
national dialogue with the social partners and numerous tripartite seminars so
that all concerns be could be heard and addressed. This was combined with data
collection, particularly with respect to the domestic fleet and conditions of
employment, and a detailed legal review and analysis. As result of this
extensive consultation process legislation was developed that would implement
the MLC, 2006 to better protect all Filipino seafarers, including the many
seafarers working overseas, and also ensure that seafarer recruitment and
placement services based in the Philippines are regulated and operated in
accordance with the MLC, 2006 requirements.
The MLC, 2006 will come into force 12 months after the registered
ratifications of at least 30 Member States with a total share of at least 33
per cent of the world gross tonnage of ships. The gross tonnage element was
achieved in 2009. The ratification by the Philippines will enable the
Convention to come into effect as binding international law on 20 August 2013.
Source: ILO
