Everyone asks the same first question about life on board: how many hours do you work? There is no single number — but there is a FLOOR, and it is set by an international convention. The arrangement written in your contract cannot go below it.
The international floor
The Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006) requires countries to adopt one of two frameworks. Both arrive at the same place; which one applies depends on the ship's flag.
- Maximum hours of work: no more than 14 hours in any 24-hour period, and no more than 72 hours in any seven-day period.
- Minimum hours of rest: at least 10 hours in any 24-hour period, and at least 77 hours in any seven-day period.
How rest may be divided
This is the clause most often overlooked. Rest may be divided into no more than TWO periods, one of which must be at least six hours long. The interval between consecutive rest periods must not exceed 14 hours. Saying “we gave ten hours in total” is not enough; how those hours are given is also regulated.
Exceptions
Temporary exceptions are allowed for drills, emergencies and situations affecting the safety of the ship or the people on board. But an exception is not free: compensatory rest must follow. An “exception” that has become permanent is not an exception.
Leave is a separate entitlement
Hours of rest and paid annual leave get confused. MLC 2006 defines the minimum leave separately: at least 2.5 calendar days for each month of employment. Agreements to forgo this minimum leave are prohibited, other than in cases determined by the competent authority.
What actually happens
The floor is a floor, not a schedule. Your real arrangement depends on the ship type, the watch system and how intense the voyage is. There are two documents that tell you: the contract you are about to sign, and the table of shipboard working arrangements posted on board. You are entitled to see both before signing.
- What is the watch system (4-8, 6-6, day work)?
- Is overtime included in the wage; if not, what is the hourly rate?
- How are rest records kept, and do you get a copy?
- How is leave entitlement written into the contract?
These answers should be in writing, not spoken. If an owner or an agency says “we'll sort it out once you're on board”, that sentence is the answer.