Manning Agents

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Manning agents are companies that act as an employment agency for seafarers. Seafarers use them to find employment at sea and shipping companies use them to source crew.

Manning agents are most common in labour supply countries, such as the Philippines and Eastern Europe.

A manning agent should:

Provide seafarers orientation on recruitment policies and procedures, terms and conditions of employment and other relevant information
Ensure that any seafarer recruited or deployed by them is qualified and holds the documents necessary for the job concerned
Ensure that contracts of employment are in accordance with any applicable laws, regulations and collective bargaining agreements
Ensure that seafarers are informed of their rights and duties under their contracts of employment and the articles of agreement prior to or in the process of engagement
Ensure that proper arrangements are made for seafarers to examine their contracts of employment and articles of agreement before and after they are signed and for them to receive a copy of the contract of employment
Ensure that the vessel/s and the crew are adequately covered by P & I Club or similar insurance through the submission of the certificate of insurance coverage
Assume joint and solidary liability with the employer for all claims and liabilities which may arise in connection with the implementation of the employment contract, including but not limited to wages, death and disability compensation and their repatriation
Guarantee compliance with the applicable labour, social and maritime legislations, and applicable regulations of the flag state and international maritime bodies such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labor Organization (ILO)
Repatriate the deployed seafarers when the need arises

A manning agent should not:

Require seafarers to pay for a job
Illegally blacklist seafarers, or deny a seafarer employment on the basis of his/her name being on an illegal blacklist

If you are concerned about a particular manning agent and their practices, contact the ITF using the link on the right of this page.

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