国际劳工组织（ILO）将于2025年4月在日内瓦举行的《海事劳工公约》（MLC）特别三方委员会上审查海员的工作-休息规定。
一份详细的报告显示，海员的工作时间远远超过全球标准，经常违反强制性休息时间，因此做出了这一决定。
世界海事大学（WMU） 2022年对9000名海员进行的一项调查发现，海事工人平均每天工作11.5小时，每周工作时间为74.9小时，远远超过国际劳工组织2018年记录的全球平均每周43小时。
尽管有国际规定，但28.1%的海员承认每天的休息时间少于规定的10小时，这违反了休息时间规则。该研究还发现，每天只有7小时的睡眠是很常见的，这引起了人们对疲劳的严重担忧。
78%的海员报告称，他们在整个合同期内没有休过一天全日假，这与《海事劳工公约》的精神直接相悖。
此外，88.3%的受访者承认每月至少有一次超过工作/休息限制，16.5%的受访者每月超过10次。
尽管有这些发现，港口国管制报告显示，工作/休息条例的遵守率很高。WMU的报告称这是“政策层面的虚假叙述”，因为海员经常少报工作时间以避免处罚或雇主报复。
据海运业专家称，船旗国颁发的人员配备证书对船员的要求最低，使船东能够用更少的工人操作船只，从而导致工作量过大。
正在讨论的一项提案建议建立一个由船旗国管理的安全在线日志系统，海员可以在其中秘密记录他们的实际工作时间，而不必担心受到影响。
国际劳工组织（ILO）和国际海事组织（IMO）已通过《MLC》和《海员培训、发证和值班规则》（STCW）制定了明确的工作-休息指南：
最长工作时间：每24小时14小时，每周72小时。
最低休息时间：每24小时10小时，每周77小时。
然而，遵守情况仍然很弱。多年来，多起事故报告将船员疲劳与海上伤亡联系起来。
包括海员幸福指数创始人史蒂文·琼斯在内的行业专业人士对此问题表示担忧。在最近为Splash撰写的一篇文章中，他表示，海员们一直在与长期漏报和担心违规行为受到惩罚作斗争。
他补充说，工人们面临着一个艰难的选择——诚实地报告超时工作，冒着被处罚的风险，或者调整记录以避免麻烦，这导致缺乏准确的实际工作时间数据。
除了工作/休息规定外，2025年4月在日内瓦举行的MLC峰会还将重点关注：
● 海上暴力和骚扰
● 海员遣返政策
● 上岸休假权
与此同时，来自BIMCO、国际航运协会（ICS）、INTERTANKO和INTERCARGO的行业领袖于2月6日在雅典举行会议，讨论了主要的海事挑战，包括温室气体减排和地缘政治风险。
对海员的刑事定罪和不公正的法律待遇是他们讨论的主要问题。
接受调查的海员中有87.6%认为工作需求和船员水平之间仍然存在不平衡，驳斥了技术正在减少工作量的说法。
随着国际劳工组织对法规的审查，海事劳工政策可能会得到更严格的执行，从而为全世界的海员提供更好的工作条件。
▲Image for representation purposes only
英文原文
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is set to review work-rest regulations for seafarers at the Special Tripartite Committee of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) in April 2025 in Geneva.
The decision has been made after a detailed report has revealed that seafarers work much more than the global standards, often violating mandatory rest periods.
A 2022 survey by the World Maritime University (WMU), conducted among 9,000 seafarers, found that maritime workers spend an average of 11.5 hours per day on duty, leading to a 74.9-hour workweek-far exceeding the global average of 43 hours per week as recorded by the ILO in 2018.
Despite international regulations, 28.1% of seafarers admitted to resting less than the required 10 hours per day, which violates rest-hour rules. The study also found that only 7 hours of sleep per day was common, raising serious concerns about fatigue.
78% of seafarers reported not getting a single full day off during their entire contract period- a direct contradiction to the spirit of the Maritime Labour Convention.
Additionally, 88.3% of respondents confessed to exceeding work/rest limits at least once a month, with 16.5% breaking these limits more than ten times a month.
Despite these findings, port state control reports show high compliance rates with work/rest regulations. The WMU report calls this a “false narrative at policy levels,” as seafarers frequently underreport working hours to avoid penalties or employer retaliation.
According to maritime industry experts, flag states issue manning certificates with minimal crew requirements, enabling shipowners to operate vessels with fewer workers, leading to excessive workloads.
A proposal under discussion suggests creating a secure online log system, managed by flag states, where seafarers can confidentially record their actual working hours without fear of repercussions.
The ILO and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) have set clear work-rest guidelines through the MLC and the Seafarers’ Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping Code (STCW):
Maximum working hours: 14 hours per 24-hour period and 72 hours per week.
Minimum rest hours: 10 hours per 24-hour period and 77 hours per week.
However, compliance remains weak. Over the years, multiple accident reports have linked crew fatigue to maritime casualties.
Industry professionals, including the founder of the Seafarers Happiness Index, Steven Jones, have expressed concerns about this issue. In a recent article for Splash, he stated that seafarers struggle with chronic underreporting and fear of punishment for violations.
He added that workers face a difficult choice- report overwork honestly and risk penalties or adjust records to avoid trouble, leading to a lack of accurate data on actual working hours.
Apart from work/rest regulations, the April 2025 MLC summit in Geneva will also focus on:
Violence and harassment at sea
Seafarer repatriation policies
Shore leave rights
Meanwhile, industry leaders from BIMCO, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), INTERTANKO, and INTERCARGO met in Athens on February 6 to discuss key maritime challenges, including greenhouse gas reduction and geopolitical risks.
The criminalisation of seafarers and unjust legal treatment were major concerns in their discussions.
87.6% of seafarers surveyed believe there is still an imbalance between work demands and crewing levels, dismissing claims that technology is reducing workloads.
With the ILO reviewing regulations, maritime labour policies could see stricter enforcement, leading to better conditions for seafarers worldwide.
免责申明：本文根据Chamber of Shipping等内容整理，如有误差，以英文为准；仅代表作者观点，不代表中国海员之家立场。其真实性及原创性未能得到中国海员之家证实，在此感谢原作者的辛苦创作，如转载涉及版权等问题，请作者与我们联系，我们将在第一时间处理，谢谢！联系邮箱：cnisu@54seaman.com
陈凯彬