Labour Rights Gap in Maritime Industry
A recent study by the World Maritime University (WMU) has highlighted the labour rights gap between Europe’s sea workers and land-based employees.
Main Findings
- Seafarers work up to 91 hours per week under minimum rest-hour frameworks
- Average working hours for seafarers stand at 74.9 hours per week
- 53.3% of sea workers regularly exceed 72 working hours per week
The study found that current maritime governance frameworks prioritize commercial efficiency and operational flexibility over occupational health and crew welfare.
Concerns and Recommendations
The findings also highlighted concerns around legal protections for seafarers within Europe’s labour framework, noting that maritime workers remain excluded from several horizontal EU labour directives.
The study questioned whether the traditional reliance on flag state jurisdiction remains fit for purpose in modern shipping, particularly in private employment disputes involving multinational crews and shipowners.