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The Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Minimum Requirements for Seafarers etc.) Regulations 2014

United Kingdom · regulation

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In force since 2026-07-09, as the publisher states.

Copy read on 2026-11-10. The page it was read from

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.

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Contents: 87 provisions
  1. Title and introductory text
  2. 1 Citation and commencement
  3. 2 Interpretation
  4. 3 Application
  5. 4 Seafarer to be of minimum age
  6. 5 Young persons on night duty
  7. 6 Part 2 requirements for non-United Kingdom ships with MLC documentation
  8. 7 Meaning of “employer” etc.
  9. 8 Duty on shipowner in respect of recruitment and placement services
  10. 9 Duty to enter into seafarer employment agreement
  11. 10 Content of seafarer employment agreement
  12. 11 Minimum notice period
  13. 11A Seafarer employment agreements: captive seafarers
  14. 12 Documents
  15. 13 Foreign language seafarer employment agreement
  16. 14 Duty of master to produce seafarer employment agreement
  17. 15 Part 4 requirements for non-United Kingdom ships with MLC documentation
  18. 16 Late payment of wages etc.
  19. 17 Account of seafarer's wages etc.
  20. 18 Part 5 requirements for non-United Kingdom ships with MLC documentation
  21. 19 Duty to repatriate seafarers
  22. 20 Place for return.
  23. 21 Scope of duty to repatriate
  24. 22 Duty pending repatriation
  25. 23 Prohibition on recovering costs from seafarer
  26. 24 Seafarer property
  27. 25 Duty to carry documents
  28. 26 Financial security requirement applicable to all ships
  29. 27 Secretary of State functions in the event of shipowner default
  30. 28 Part 6 requirements for non-United Kingdom ships with MLC documentation
  31. 29 Crew accommodation requirements
  32. 30 Provision for certain older ships
  33. 31 Exemptions
  34. 32 Approvals to allow substantial equivalences
  35. 33 Part 7 requirements for non-United Kingdom ships with MLC documentation
  36. 34 Provision of food and drinking water
  37. 35 Organisation and equipment of the catering department
  38. 36 Inspection of food and catering facilities
  39. 37 Requirement to carry a qualified ship's cook
  40. 38 Certificate of competency as a ship's cook
  41. 39 Recognition of existing certificates of competency
  42. 40 Training requirements for catering staff and other persons processing food in the galley
  43. 41 Part 8 requirements for non-United Kingdom ships with MLC documentation
  44. 42 Interpretation of Part 8
  45. 43 Shipowner duty to make provision for seafarer medical and other expenses
  46. 44 Duty to carry a medical practitioner on ship
  47. 45 Right to medical attention
  48. 46 Part 9 requirements for non-United Kingdom ships with MLC documentation
  49. 47 Interpretation of Part 9
  50. 48 Shipowners' liability for seafarer unemployment and losses following loss or foundering of ship
  51. 49 Financial security requirement applicable to all ships
  52. 50 Shipowners' liability for wages following sickness or injury sustained by seafarer
  53. 51 Property left behind by sick or injured seafarer
  54. 52 Shipowners' liability in respect of burial or cremation of seafarer
  55. 53 Interpretation of Part 10
  56. 53A Interpretation of Part 10A
  57. 53B Shipowner’s security requirement applicable to all ships
  58. 53C Shipowner’s security
  59. 53D Payment of contractual compensation
  60. 53E Interim payments
  61. 53F Offence of undue pressure
  62. 53G Duty to carry and display shipowner’s security document
  63. 53H Termination of shipowner’s security on notice to the Secretary of State
  64. 53I Duty on shipowner’s security provider to notify the Secretary of State where a shipowner’s security has been terminated
  65. 53J Duty on shipowner to notify seafarers if shipowner’s security is to be terminated
  66. 53K Interpretation of Part 10B
  67. 53L Abandonment
  68. 53M Abandonment security requirement applicable to all ships
  69. 53N Abandonment security
  70. 53O Consideration and payment of abandonment claims
  71. 53P Subrogation
  72. 53Q Duty to carry and display an abandonment security document
  73. 53R Termination of abandonment security effective only where notice given
  74. 53S Duty on shipowner to notify seafarers if abandonment security is to be terminated
  75. 54 Inspection of United Kingdom ships and non-United Kingdom ships without MLC documentation
  76. 55 Inspection of non-United Kingdom ships with MLC documentation
  77. 56 Detention of ships
  78. 57 Failure to repatriate - detention of non-United Kingdom ships with MLC documentation at request of foreign State
  79. 58 Supplementary provisions as respects detention of ships
  80. 59 Penalties
  81. 59A Further provision on penalties
  82. 60 Defence
  83. 61 Review
  84. SCHEDULE 1 Provision to be included in a Seafarer Employment Agreement
  85. SCHEDULE 2 Provision to be included in a written record of work on a ship
  86. SCHEDULE 3 Information to be included in a shipowner’s security document
  87. SCHEDULE 4 Information to be included in an abandonment security document

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87 provisions

59A Further provision on penalties

(1) Offences under the provisions listed in paragraph (2) are punishable on summary conviction— (a) in England and Wales, by a fine; (b) in Scotland and Northern Ireland, by a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale. (2) The provisions referred to in paragraph (1) are— (a) regulation 53J(3); (b) regulation 53M(2); (c) regulation 53S(3). (3) Offences under the provisions listed in paragraph (4) are punishable— (a) on summary conviction— (i) in England and Wales, by a fine; (ii) in Scotland or Northern Ireland, by a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum; or (b) on conviction on indictment, by imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine, or both. (4) The provisions referred to in paragraph (3) are— (a) regulation 53B(2); (b) regulation 53F.

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60 Defence

In any proceedings for an offence under these Regulations (other than an offence under regulation 10(5)) it is a defence for the person charged to show that all reasonable steps had been taken by that person to ensure compliance with the provision concerned.

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61 Review

(1) The Secretary of State must from time to time— (a) carry out a review of these Regulations; (b) set out the conclusions of the review in a report; and (c) publish the report. (2) In carrying out the review the Secretary of State must, so far as is reasonable, have regard to how the MLC is implemented in other member States. (3) The report must in particular— (a) set out the objectives intended to be achieved by these Regulations; (b) assess the extent to which those objectives are achieved; and (c) assess whether those objectives remain appropriate and, if so, the extent to which they could be achieved with a system that imposes less regulation. (4) The first report under this regulation must be published before the end of the period of five years beginning with the day on which these Regulations come into force. (5) Reports under this regulation are afterwards to be published at intervals not exceeding five years.

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SCHEDULE 1 Provision to be included in a Seafarer Employment Agreement

Regulation 10(1) PART 1 Provision to be included in all agreements 1 The full name, birthplace and date of birth (or age at the time of entering into the agreement) of the seafarer. 2 The name and address of the shipowner. 3 The place where the agreement is entered into. 4 The date on which the agreement is entered into. 5 The capacity in which the seafarer is to work. 6 If the agreement has been made for a definite period, the termination date. 7 If the agreement has been made for an indefinite period, the period of notice of termination required and the circumstances in which such notice may be given. 8 If the agreement has been made for a particular voyage, the destination port and the period following arrival after which the agreement terminates. 9 The health and social security protection benefits to be provided to the seafarer under the agreement. 10 The maximum period of service on board following which the seafarer is entitled to repatriation (which must not exceed a period of 12 months less the number of days statutory paid leave to which the seafarer is entitled). 11 The seafarer's entitlement to repatriation (including the mode of transport and destination of repatriation). 12 The circumstances in which the seafarer is required to meet or reimburse the shipowner for the costs of repatriation. 13 The maximum sum which the shipowner will pay to the seafarer in respect of compensation for any loss of personal property arising from the loss or foundering of the ship. 14 Details of any collective bargaining agreement which is incorporated (in whole or in part) into the agreement or is otherwise relevant to it. PART 2 Provision to be included where seafarer is an employee 1 The wages (either the amount or the formula to be used in determining them). 2 The manner in which wages must be paid, including payment dates (the first of which must be no more than one month after the date on which the agreement is entered into, with all subsequent dates being no more than one month apart) and the circumstances (if any) in which wages may or must be paid in a different currency. 3 The hours of work. 4 The paid leave (either the amount or the formula to be used in determining it). 5 Any pension arrangements, including any entitlement to participate in a pension scheme. 6 The grievance and disciplinary procedures. PART 3 Provision to be included where seafarer is not an employee 1 The remuneration (either the amount or the formula to be used in determining it). 2 The manner in which the remuneration must be paid, including payment dates (the first of which must be no more than one month after the date on which the agreement is entered into, with all subsequent dates being no more than one month apart) and the circumstances (if any) in which the remuneration may or must be paid in a different currency.

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SCHEDULE 2 Provision to be included in a written record of work on a ship

Regulation 12(6) 1 Name, port of registry, gross or register tonnage and official number of the ship. 2 Description of voyage. 3 Capacity in which seafarer worked on the ship. 4 Date on which seafarer started work on the ship. 5 Date and location of seafarer's discharge from the ship.

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SCHEDULE 3 Information to be included in a shipowner’s security document

Regulation 53G 1. The information to be included in a shipowner’s security document is— (a) the name of the ship to which the shipowner’s security relates; (b) the port of registry of the ship; (c) the call sign of the ship; (d) the International Maritime Organisation number of the ship; (e) the name and address of the shipowner’s security provider; (f) the contact details of the point of contact at the shipowner’s security provider responsible for handling claims made by seafarers; (g) the name of the shipowner, or of the registered owner if different from the shipowner; (h) the period of validity of the shipowner’s security; (i) a declaration from the shipowner’s security provider that the shipowner’s security meets the requirements of standard A4.2.1 of the MLC.

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SCHEDULE 4 Information to be included in an abandonment security document

Regulation 53Q 1. The information to be included in an abandonment security document is— (a) the name of the ship to which the abandonment security relates; (b) the port of registry of the ship; (c) the call sign of the ship; (d) the International Maritime Organisation number of the ship; (e) the name and address of the abandonment security provider; (f) the contact details of the point of contact at the abandonment security provider responsible for handling seafarers’ abandonment claims; (g) the name of the shipowner, or of the registered owner if different from the shipowner; (h) the period of validity of the abandonment security; (i) a declaration from the abandonment security provider that the abandonment security meets the requirements of standard A2.5.2 of the MLC.

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