Focus on employment agreements during port state control inspections

From 1 September to 30 November port state control officers will take a close look at employment agreements and correct payment of wages. With their "Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC)" the Tokyo and Paris Agreements on Port State Control verify whether the provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention are being complied with.

In the course of the current concentrated inspection campaign, which started on 1 September, port state control officers (PSCO) of the Paris and Tokyo MoUs have been checking sea-going vessels and their crew with extra attention on compliance with the requirements for employment agreements and regular payment of wages. In addition, the surveyors verify if the required financial security for repatriation of seafarers is provided.

In Germany, the Ship Safety Division of the BG Verkehr is responsible for port state control. The PSCOs of the Ship Safety Division, who all worked at sea themselves before joining the authority, have all been specially trained for the CIC. During the CIC inspections, the PSCOs use questionnaires that were developed for this very purpose.

If the officers find that a ship does not comply with all the relevant provisions, the shipowner will have to rectify the deficiencies within a given period of time. Serious or an excessive number of deficiencies may lead to the ship being detained. The secretariat of the Paris and Tokyo agreements on port state control publish any detention of a ship on their website parismou.org und www.tokyo-mou.org.

A new Concentrated Inspection Campaign takes place every year between September and November and are carried out within a regular port state control inspection.

Further information on the joint concentrated inspection campaign of Paris and Tokyo MoU as well as the questionnaire are provided in the joint press release.