MANILA, (PNA) – The International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) announced that it will contest Panama’s interpretation of the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) 2006 regarding cadets.
The United Kingdom-based ITF is the organization which oversees and protects the rights of 1.2 million seafarers, 400,000 of whom are Filipinos.
Earlier, the Panama flag sent a note informing shipowners that cadets are not covered by MLC 2006.
In its Merchant Marine Notice 265, the Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) listed cadets among 12 different job descriptions that should not be considered as “seafarers” under MLC 2006.
The PMA defines a cadet as “an aspiring merchant marine officer, whose training program includes the improvement of academic and professional skills, as well as the formation of attitudes and behaviors under the observance and strict compliance of rules and regulations and existing orders”.
This definition and decision could mean hundreds of cadets serving under its flag could be denied the protection of internationally agreed minimum working conditions and standards for seafarers.
The ITF stated that this interpretation is deeply troubling, as it not only threatens the very spirit of MLC, but it may well make a career at sea less attractive.
The decision by the ITF to protest this Panamanian decision is set to become the first serious challenge of a state’s interpretation of MLC 2006.
It is already the case that chaos is overtaking MLC with seemingly very few flag agreeing on the definition of seafarers – the decision by some to state that armed guards are not covered by the MLC 2006 has also been proving contentious.