Factsheet
Managing weight and obesity
Obesity does not happen overnight. It develops gradually over time, as a result of poor diet and lifestyle choices.
ITF Seafarers
Seafarers move the world, sustaining our economies and communities – but they routinely face exploitation. The ITF fights for seafarers’ rights.
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Resource
Beyond the Limit
How Covid-19 corner-cutting places too much risk in the international shipping system.
Factsheet
Before you board
ITF advice on your contract to work at sea, recruitment scams and crewing agents
Factsheet
ITF agreements
ITF Agreements are only those that are approved by the ITF and only apply to ships flying a Flag of Convenience (FOC)*
Factsheet
Basic rights under ILO
The ILO sets international labour standards through key international agreements.
Factsheet
Your rights under the MLC
The MLC covers all vessels and applies to all seafarers. But you must be at least 16 and have a medical certificate to work on a ship.
Resource
ITF Guide for Seafarers to the ILO Maritime Labour Convention, 2006
The Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC), otherwise known as the Seafarers’ Bill of Rights, incorporates and builds on sixty eight existing maritime labour conventions and recommendations, as well as more general fundamental principles, to ensure decent working and living conditions for all seafarers.
Factsheet
Wages
Your wage rates will depend on whether you are serving on a national flag vessel or a ship covered by an ITF agreement.
Factsheet
Trade unions
Being a member of trade union can mean the difference between getting the medical help you need when you break a bone or suffering for a lifetime without proper treatment.
Explore
YOUR RIGHTS
As a seafarer you have rights - employment rights, legal rights, trade union rights and human rights. Ensure you know your rights and what to do when things go wrong.
WOMEN AT SEA
Women have proven that working at sea can be a positive and rewarding career. Find out more about women-centred sources of support and information
MANNING AGENTS
Let us guide you through the recruitment process. Advice on finding an agent, avoiding scams and ensuring you have the right contract.
HEALTH & WELLBEING
Stay healthy and happy at sea. Learn about wellbeing illness and disease.
Find the nearest welfare centre to your port.
DIRECTORIES
ABANDONMENT LIST
Every year, the ITF and its affiliates deal with a number of cases of ‘abandonment’, where a shipowner ‘abandons’ their responsibilities for the ship and its crew. View the current reported cases.
CRIMINALISATION LIST
Criminalisation is one of the most serious problems facing seafarers today. When there has been a maritime accident seafarers have often been detained and denied access to normal rules of fair play and justice.
BREACH OF RIGHTS INDEX
Shipowners, ship managers, flag states or other parties, which warrant inclusion on the ITF Seafarers’ Breach of Rights Index.
RED LISTED RECRUITMENT AGENCIES
The ITFShipBeSure website provides advice on finding a manning agent, avoiding recruitment scams and ensuring you have the right contract.
SEAFARERS’ WELFARE CENTRE INDEX
Find out if there is a seafarer centre in the port. Seafarers’ centres can provide advice, someone to talk to, facilities to contact home and a place where you can relax away from the ship.
WELLBEING DIRECTORY
Wellbeing is the experience of health, happiness and life satisfaction and not just the absence of disease or illness.
LATEST MARITIME NEWS
The latest news on the issues affecting us all, and the actions we’re taking to improve our workers' lives and futures.
News
16 April 2025
Agreement reached on new global minimum wage for seafarers
- The International Chamber of Shipping and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) both welcomed the introduction of a new minimum wage, following negotiations in Geneva.
News
14 April 2025
Seafarers officially recognised as ‘key workers’ after successful Geneva negotiations
Landmark changes to the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) mean seafarers are officially recognised as ‘key workers’ by the International Labour Organization (ILO).
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News
14 April 2025