The MLC Annual Reports contain data on complaints, serious injuries and fatalities as well as illustrative case studies.

Use the following links to read a digital version of each year's report.

• 2023 Annual Report
• 2022 Annual Report
• 2021 Annual Report
• 2020 Annual Report
• 2019 Annual Report

Onboard complaints

We recommend using your ship’s onboard complaint procedure before contacting AMSA.  

All vessels must have an onboard complaint procedure that:

• lets seafarers make a complaint without fear of recourse
• keeps the complaint confidential

If the complaint can’t be resolved on board, you can make a complaint to AMSA and we will investigate.

Onshore complaints

Seafarers can make complaints directly to us or any other organisation directly involved in seafarer welfare.  

We can investigate complaints about:

• regulated Australian vessels
• foreign-flagged vessels in Australia.

We cannot investigate complaints about foreign-flagged vessels outside of Australian waters. For help on a foreign-flagged vessel outside of Australian waters, please contact either:

• the maritime authorities of the next port of call
• your flag state.

We accept complaints made online or in person to inspectors.

We keep the source of these complaints confidential. Where possible, we will not indicate where the complaint came from or why we are inspecting the vessel.

When we receive a complaint, we will:  

1. Undertake an initial investigation. This can include a visit to the vessel or emailing the vessel's agent and/or operator.
2. Check whether the onboard complaints procedure has been used.
3. Promote resolution of the complaint at shipboard level if appropriate.
4. If the complaint isn't resolved, we will notify the flag state to ask for resolution, advice or corrective action.
5. Do a more detailed inspection of the vessel if it's required.

For employment issues, such as cabotage or coastal trading related payments, covered by the Fair Work Act, please contact the Fair Work Ombudsman.

For safety-related complaints, please use either:

• the Marine Safety Concern online form
• or the Australian Transport Safety Bureau Confidential Reporting Scheme, REPCON.

Read more about on board complaints systems on Australian vessels in Marine Order 11. 

Related information

• Maritime Labour Convention 2006 and its application
• Australian Seafarers' Welfare Council

A private seafarer recruitment and placement services is a company whose primary purpose is recruiting and placing of seafarers on vessels. These services must register with us before they begin recruiting and placing seafarers in Australia.

Apply to be a registered private seafarer recruitment and placement service

Please be aware of email, internet and telephone hoaxes and scams asking for personal information or offering Australian visas and jobs.

If you have concerns about a registered Australian private seafarer recruitment and placement service, please use the on-shore MLC complaint form.

Australian register of private seafarer recruitment and placement services

Related information

• Application for registration as a private seafarer recruitment and placement service
• Marine Order 11 (Living and Working Conditions on Vessels) 2015
• Marine Labour Convention 2006
• On-shore complaint form: Maritime Labour Convention (MLC)

This form is for MLC complaints about the living and working conditions on:

• regulated Australian vessels
• foreign-flagged vessels in Australia.

We cannot investigate complaints about foreign-flagged vessels outside of Australian waters. Please contact the maritime authorities of the next port of call or your flag State for assistance.

We recommend using the ship’s onboard complaint procedure first. The vessel must have an onboard complaint procedure for seafarers to make a complaint without fear of recourse.

If the complaint can’t be resolved on board, you can make a complaint to AMSA and we will investigate. Please refer to the onboard and onshore complaints process for more information.

We keep the source of these complaints confidential. Where possible, we will not indicate where the complaint came from or why we are inspecting the vessel.

For safety-related complaints please use either:

• the Marine Safety Concern online form
• the Australian Transport Safety Bureau Confidential Reporting Scheme, REPCON.

Having difficulties?

If you can't submit this form online, you can email the complaint to onshorecomms@amsa.gov.au or contact us.

* is a mandatory field.

This page advises vessel shipowners, operators and seafarers of AMSA’s approach to implementing the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC) requirements for the maximum continuous period that a seafarer can serve on board a vessel without taking leave.  

Background 

AMSA inspectors continue to identify occurrences of continuous seafarer service periods extending beyond 11 months. While AMSA has received complaints in relation to these occurrences, in some cases the seafarers have subsequently agreed to additional service extensions. AMSA inspectors have on occasion identified that these service extensions do not meet the “mutual agreement” requirements of MLC Regulation 2.1 – Seafarers Employment Agreements. 

MLC requirements 

The relevant sections of MLC, Regulation 2.4 – Entitlement to leave and Regulation 2.5 – Repatriation, which make reference to the maximum continuous period that a seafarer can serve on board a vessel without taking leave, are quoted below. 

Regulation 2.4 – Entitlement to leave 

Purpose: To ensure that seafarers have adequate leave  

1. Each Member shall require that seafarers employed on ships that fly its flag are given paid annual leave under appropriate conditions, in accordance with the provisions in the Code. 
2. Seafarers shall be granted shore leave to benefit their health and well-being and with the operational requirements of their positions. 

Standard A2.4 

1. Each Member shall adopt laws and regulations determining the minimum standards for annual leave for seafarers serving on ships that fly its flag, taking proper account of the special needs of seafarers with respect to such leave. 
2. Subject to any collective agreement or laws or regulations providing for an appropriate method of calculation that takes account of the special needs of seafarers in this respect, the annual leave with pay entitlement shall be calculated on the basis of a minimum of 2.5 calendar days per month of employment. The manner in which the length of service is calculated shall be determined by the competent authority or through the appropriate machinery in each country. Justified absences from work shall not be considered as annual leave. 
3. Any agreement to forgo the minimum annual leave with pay prescribed in this Standard, except in cases provided for by the competent authority, shall be prohibited. 

Standard A2.5.2 

1. Each Member shall ensure that there are appropriate provisions in its laws and regulations or other measures or in collective bargain agreements, prescribing: 
2. the circumstances in which seafarers are entitled to repatriation in accordance with paragraph 1(b) and (c) of this Standard; 
3. the maximum duration of service periods on board following which a seafarer is entitled to repatriation – such periods to be less than 12 months; and 
4. the precise entitlements to be accorded by shipowners for repatriation, including those relating to the destinations of repatriation, the mode of transport, the items of expense to be covered and other arrangements to be made by shipowners. 

AMSA’s approach 

Standard A2.5.2(b) states that the maximum duration of service on board before a seafarer is entitled to repatriation must be less than 12 months. This does not necessarily mean that seafarers must be repatriated, but rather that they are entitled to repatriation. 

However, Regulation 2.4 clearly states that seafarers must be given paid annual leave and Standard A2.4 clearly states that annual leave shall be calculated at a minimum of 2.5 days per month of employment, which equates to a minimum of 30 days per year. Standard A2.4.3 also states that any agreement to forgo the minimum annual leave with pay prescribed in that standard, except in cases provided for by the competent authority, shall be prohibited. 

Therefore, MLC requirements that the maximum continuous period that a seafarer should serve on board a vessel ship without leave is 11 months. 

This interpretation has been confirmed with the International Labour Organization (ILO).The ILO Standards Department, MLC frequently asked questions. Fourth edition (revised) 2015 - Question C2.4.c. (Page 43): 

Does the requirement for paid annual leave mean that seafarers cannot be on board for more than 11 months at a time? 

Yes. The concept of paid annual leave is assumed to be an uninterrupted period (Guideline B.2.4.3, paragraph 2) that is to be taken annually and therefore the maximum period for service on board a ship or ships without leave would be 11 months [see question C2.1.j. Does the MLC, 2006 set a maximum limit on the length of an employment agreement? Can I have an SEA for a period longer than 12 months?].  

This is also linked to the requirement in Standard A2.5, paragraph 2(b), regarding the entitlement to repatriation in a period of less than 12 months [see question C2.5.a. What is the entitlement to repatriation?]  [see question C2.5.g. Can a seafarer decide not to exercise a right to be repatriated when that entitlement arises?]. 

Compliance and enforcement 

On this basis, when a complaint is received or during an inspection, AMSA inspectors will verify compliance with Regulation 2.4, ensuring seafarers serve no longer than 11 months continuously on board a vessel. This will include verification that any service extensions do not result in seafarers serving on board for more than 11 months. 

Where inspectors identify that a seafarer has served on board a vessel ship for more than 11 months, but less than 13 months and this occurred with the full consent of the seafarer and in accordance with any flag State requirements, the non-compliance will be brought to the attention of the master and the vessel shipowner, with an expectation that the non-compliance will be rectified at the earliest possible opportunity. Due consideration to flag State’s policy in this regard may be taken into account. 

Where inspectors identify that a seafarer has served on board a vessel ship for more than 13 months, or in cases of systemic breaches, non-compliance will be managed in accordance with MLC Standard A5.2.1.6. This requires the inspector to take steps to ensure that the ship shall not proceed to sea until the non-conformities have been rectified, or until the inspector has accepted a plan of action to rectify such non-conformities and is satisfied that the plan will be implemented in an expeditious manner. 

Read the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC)

Vessels it applies to

We apply the MLC to:

• regulated Australian vessels
• foreign flagged vessels in Australia

The MLC applies to all commercial vessels whether publicly or privately owned.

The MLC does not apply to:

• fishing vessels
• vessels of traditional builds (such as dhows and junks)
• warships or naval auxiliaries  
• vessels not ordinarily engaged in commercial activities.

What it covers

The MLC sets modern standards for seafarers' working and living conditions. It covers 5 main subject areas referred to as titles:

• Title 1—Minimum requirements for seafarers to work on vessels
• Title 2—Conditions of employment
• Title 3—Accommodation, recreational facilities, food and catering
• Title 4—Health protection, medical care, welfare and social security protection
• Title 5—Compliance and enforcement

MLC in Australia

Australia is a signatory to the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC).

We are the authority responsible for regulation of the convention and its requirements in Australia.

Watch a video about our involvement with the convention.

Transcript: AMSA's involvement with the Maritime Labour Convention

0:10
Shipping is an international industry

0:12
responsible for transporting over 90% of the world's 

0:19
trade. The size of the industry requires

0:22
international agreement on standards and

0:27
regulations. It is therefore regulated by

0:30
several international

0:33
[Music]

0:39
conventions. Until recently there was no

0:41
agreed internationally-recognised

0:43
minimum standard for the labor

0:45
conditions of the people who work on

0:47
these vessels - the world's 1.4 million

0:52
seafarers. Some of these seafarers work

0:54
under very poor conditions.

1:01
[Music]

1:05
In 2006, a fourth pillar of regulation

1:08
was added - the Maritime Labor Convention

1:11
or

1:15
MLC. The convention was developed by the

1:17
International Labour Organization (ILO) and

1:21
is the result of a tripartite

1:22
negotiation by representatives of

1:24
government, employers and

1:27
workers. It consolidates a number of

1:30
existing labor conventions while

1:32
introducing modern standards relating to

1:34
the working and living conditions of

1:36
seafarers at

1:40
sea. Australia has a good reputation for

1:43
the treatment of seafarers.

1:46
It became a signatory to the MLC

1:49
which entered into force internationally

1:51
in August

1:54
[Music]

1:58
2013. In Australia, the Australian

2:01
Maritime Safety Authority is responsible

2:03
for ensuring the conditions and welfare

2:05
of seafarers through enforcing the

2:08
requirements of the

2:10
MLC. It conducts over 3,000 vessel

2:13
inspections each year in 70 ports around

2:18
Australia. AMSA also chairs the

2:21
Australian Seafarer's Welfare Council

2:23
which aims to actively promote seafarer

2:26
welfare issues and the services

2:28
available in Australian ports

2:30
to protect and support

2:33
them. Australia's Navigation Act 2012

2:37
contains new provisions that relate

2:39
directly to the

2:41
MLC. Marine Order 11 - Living and working

2:44
conditions on vessels, came into effect

2:47
in July

2:48
2013. This Marine Order includes specific

2:51
regulations for the

2:54
following - accommodation and recreational

2:57
requirements, medical care and 

2:59
facilities including access to dental

3:02
care, access to and use of sanitary and

3:05
laundry

3:06
facilities, free supplies of food and

3:09
water and their storage and

3:12
handling, work agreements and their

3:15
application, rest breaks for seafarers,

3:19
repatriation

3:22
arrangements, inspection regime and

3:25
certification rights for younger seafarers,

3:29
seafarer recruitment and placement

3:32
services, seafarer access to shore-

3:35
based

3:36
welfare, and complaints handling

3:41
procedures. The Maritime Labor Convention

3:43
improves the working and living

3:45
conditions for the world's seafarers.

3:48
For more information on the

3:51
convention please visit AMSA's website.

3:55
[Music]

AMSA ensures compliance with the MLC by:  

• responding to MLC complaints
• inspecting vessels coming into Australian ports
• requiring regulated Australian vessels to hold relevant Maritime Labour Certificates
• taking a leading role in the Australian Seafarers Welfare Council

In Australia, the MLC is primarily implemented through the Navigation Act 2012 and Marine Order 11.  

An international standard

The International Labour Organization developed the MLC and it came into force internationally in 2013.

The MLC sits alongside: 

• International Maritime Organization’s International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea
• International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers
• International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships.

See a list of countries that have ratified the convention.