Complaints by seafarers to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority for breaches of the Maritime Labour Convention have fallen by 19%, AMSA has said.
Most complaints, about 34%, were filed in Western Australia and the second-most, 43% were filed in Queensland.
Of the 173 complaints received in 2024, 109 complaints were submitted directly by seafarers. Small volumes, 19 and 18 complaints, were received from the ITF and welfare groups respectively. Just over 62% related to bulkers (about 109 complaints); in a far-distant second place was the container sector with 11 complaints, followed by oil tankers at 10 complaints, and multi-purpose vessels at nine complaints.
Complaints by MLC Title
The main body of the Convention is separated into five areas. Title 2, which relates to “conditions of employment” attracted the most complaints at 167 complaints. Most of those complaints related to wages which generated 49 complaints, which accounts for about 28% of all complaints. That as followed by complaints about seafarers’ employment agreements (34 complaints) and repatriation (32 complaints). There were no complaints (zero complaints) about crewing levels.
Title 4, “health protection”, attracted the second-highest number of complaints at 84 complaints, and these were overwhelmingly in the area of “health and safety protection and accident protection”.
The area that attracted the third-most level of complaints was Title 3, “Accommodation, recreational facilities, food and catering” with 58 complaints in 2024.
AMSA response
AMSA investigates all reported MLC complaints unless the vessel is not in Australia or is not bound for Australia. ” In those situations, AMSA refers the complaint to the flag State of the vessel and/or the next port State,” AMSA says.
In 2024, AMSA resolved 37.6% of all complaints; found 23.7% of all complaints were unsubstantiated; referred 21.4% to the flag state and issued a deficiency in 17.3% of complaints.
