THE “CULTURAL DIVERSITY” IN THE 2006 ILO CONVENTION ON MARITIME LABOUR: WHAT ARE THE DIFFICULTIES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE?,

ABSTRACT The ILO’s 2006 Maritime Labour Convention aims to become the universal code for the rights of seafarers and their living and working conditions on board. The implementation of the MLC will create new responsibilities for flag states, shipowners and the port state control. However, the main beneficiaries will be the seafarers and unions, because they will have more bargaining power as a consequence of the provisions of the MLC. The aim of the Convention is to create a uniform basis for the regulation of the labour and social issues in probably one of the most globalised sectors with crossinteraction among different nationalities . Those involved may be located in different countries but are included within a singular relationship network. This paper examines the issue of cultural diversity, which emerges from the Convention, which regulates some aspects and topics involving different stakeholders. The seafarers’ recruitment and placement services are regulated in addition to the required documentation for employment on board. Special attention is also given to the accommodation and recreational structures and to the catering services in order to avoid discrimination or segregation. Those procedures shed light on the effort made by the ILO with respect to cultural and social diversity and the related problems, which could arise on board. The impact of the implementation process criteria of the Convention will shape the shipping industry but nobody knows if a global uniformity will be ever achieved. KEYWORDS ILO; seafarers; cultural diversity; Maritime Labour Convention; international regulation