Emergency Contact A Shipowners' liability under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006 Home Latest updates News A Shipowners' liability under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006 26 Feb 2021 Download Sign up for alerts Introduction A large majority of the claims handled by the Club involve crew illness or injury, with this in mind, the Club seeks to inform Members that understanding the basis of a Shipowners’ liability and how international conventions may apply is of vital importance to them in their operations. The terms of the seafarer’s contract of employment will be the main focus, however the Club has found in practice that a Shipowner’s liability is often derived from the provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (‘MLC’). Regulation 4.2 of the MLC deals with a Shipowners’ liability and requires a Shipowner to have adequate measures in place that ensure seafarers are protected from the financial consequences of sickness, injury or death occurring in connection with their employment. There is often confusion regarding how Regulation 4.2 will apply to an individual claim and therefore to assist Members in understanding these issues, this article will address some of the frequently asked questions that arise in relation to how to apply the provisions of the MLC. Where does the MLC apply? The MLC applies to seafarers working on a vessel of a country that has ratified the MLC or where a vessel trades in a country that has ratified the MLC. The MLC applies to all vessels, whether publicly or privately owned, which are ordinarily engaged in commercial activity. It does not apply to vessels navigating solely in inland or sheltered waters, or areas where port regulations apply, nor does it apply to vessels engaged in fishing activities; or vessels of traditional build such as dhows or junks; or to warships or naval auxiliaries. What are a Shipowner’s obligations under the MLC? The Shipowner shall be liable to bear the costs for the seafarers working on