- IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim has spoken out against “no crew change” clauses in charterparties.
- He pointed out that such clauses exacerbate the dire situation of stranded seafarers.
- It will also undermine the efforts undertaken to resolve the ongoing crew change crisis.
According to a recent news report in IMO, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim has spoken out against “no crew change” clauses in charterparties.
New clause and its impact
So-called “no crew change” clauses, which are demanded by certain charterers, state that no crew changes can occur whilst the charterer’s cargo is onboard.
Hence not allowing the ship to deviate to ports where crew changes could take place.
IMO’s Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) has been made aware of this worrying development in recent weeks.
Call to refrain from ‘no crew change’
In a strong statement (issued via circular letter on 18 December), supported by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Mr Lim called upon all charterers to refrain from requesting to include “no crew change” clauses in charterparties.
Further called upon shipowners and operators to reject them if they are demanded.
Mental and physical fatigue
“Such clauses exacerbate the mental and physical fatigue among exhausted seafarers, undermine compliance with the provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended (MLC, 2006) and further threaten the safety of navigation”, Mr Lim said.
He added that alternative contractual clauses that do allow for crew changes during the pandemic are available and should be utilized.
Crew change crisis creeps
The crew change crisis now enters its tenth month.
Nearly, hundreds of thousands of seafarers remain onboard ships well beyond the expiration of their seafarer employment agreements.
Some not being paid and all unable to be repatriated.
A similar number remain unable to join ships, and as a result find themselves unable to begin their contracts and earn a living.
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Source: IMO
