Do ships actually follow the Maritime Labour Convention?

[Asdov Mastaf]

Hello friends!

My parents keep trying to disuade me from pursuing a maritime career because, apparently, most ships just ignore the labour convention (eg, most seafarers don't get their own rooms even though it's in the regulations, the working hours are way over 14hrs per day on average, etc).

Is this true? In your experience, do the ships just ignore the MLC or not?

Thanks and regards,
Asdov

[Ivan Cloherty]

Well if you are going to listen to mummy and daddy and are frightened of hard work, then a career at sea is not for you

[J Gowers]

Asdov
I went to sea as an engineer on MN ships from 1974 to 1987 always had a single room with ensuite shower/toilet. The watches were normally 4 on 8 off or day work so an 8 hour day, now and again we might have to do overtime which was unpaid but this was only if a breakdown occured or to catch up on engine maintenance. I have no idea of conditions on ships nowadays though. If you are also thinking of drilling rigs all modern rigs have single rooms and you do a 12 hour day normally 12 on 12 off.

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https://www.clydemarinetraining.com/...SAAEgIj-vD_BwE

[j.sabourn]

#1 When I went to sea Think it was 5 ft. 10 inches x 3 ft. Was your sleeping arrangement , and as many as space allowed with no dividing bulkheads . At least when the snoring stopped you knew when someone had passed away , or maybe making a visit to the toilet at the end of a long alleyway . JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

I was on all kinds, that was what going to sea was all about. I was in the forecastle with eight blokes, coal,fire in the middle of the room and clanging haws pipe to send one to sleep. I was in Four berth cabins, two berth, and single berth, Cargo boats, tankers, and coasters, enjoyed every minute I was at sea and would do it all again.
Des

[j.sabourn]

All my Adult productive life was spent at sea Asdov with all its ups and downs the same as any other career you choose . However a life at sea has its disadvantages as well as its advantages , but if you expect a life of luxury and contentment think again of a life of just the opposite, but think mainly of work satisfaction and your thoughts of spending at least half away from any family you might have in the future. Circumstances of life are constantly changing , but if you have a yearning to go to sea then do it. The only way of finding out, or you will always regret it. The first thing you should do is forget about Maritime Conventions they are the ones who don’t go to sea but manage to make the best living way above what you are ever likely to earn at sea . JS.

[Doc Vernon]

Never had the Luxury of a Single Berth with UCL, bets i had was a 4 Berth on one of the Intermediate Ship Round Africa.
All the others (Mail Ship) we had from 6 to 8 Berth Cabins , but always happy and i myself never had any issues! Only thing was during the Equator Crossing it could become very Hot down there, but we used Porthole Scoops mainly self made to try and get as much Air as possible!
It was a Mans World ! (Well some were a bit of the other too LOL )

[cappy]

Would have gone to sea at any cost .....regardless of wages accommodation food or anything else ......if the truth be known i would have gone for nothing .....suppose as a galley boy it was almost for nothing .....regardless of any union ......or any other conventions ........i would think that anyone asking about conventions in my years of the 50s and 60s would be probably not the sort perhaps of youth reqired.....just my view .....R683532....CAPPY

[Louis the fly]

If you are thinking of following a career at sea my advice is to contact a shipping company such as Maersk which has a long and reputable history of modern, state of the art ships and the welfare of their crews.

[Keith Tindell]

Thinking about the case today with the BBC and some pervert, they keep referring to the victim as a child, he was 17 at the time. That means most of us on this site went to sea at 15-16 and some younger than that, we were all children!!!, and sleeping in 4-6 berth cabins with men, wow, we were child labour !!. How the world changes in a relative short time.