Urgent Call to Protect Seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz
ILO News (Geneva) – The Officers of the Special Tripartite Committee (STC) of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, (MLC, 2006), have expressed grave concern over the situation of seafarers operating in conflict affected, particularly the approximately 20,000 seafarers currently stranded in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
The STC Officers have called on all International Labour Organization (ILO) Member States to urgently cooperate and take all the necessary measures to safeguard the lives, safety, and wellbeing of affected seafarers. They also urge flag States and the global shipping industry to exercise the highest level of caution until adequate security conditions are restored.
The Officers also stressed that the MLC, 2006 remains fully applicable even in times of crisis. It is more critical to uphold the Convention, they stated, under the current circumstances.
Building on the position adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Officers emphasized the urgent need to ensure uninterrupted delivery of essential supplies including food, water, and fuel to vessels unable to leave the Strait of Hormuz. They further encouraged States to facilitate crew changes and repatriation in accordance with the MLC, 2006, and all relevant international standards, to ensure seafarers’ health, safety, well-being and communication with their families.
The STC Officers also called on governments to recognize seafarers as key workers and to take concrete steps to enable their safe movement, including access to shore leave, medical care, and repatriation, in line with the 2025 amendments to the MLC, 2006.
Highlighting human rights considerations, they urged industry stakeholders to respect seafarers’ right to freely choose whether to work in high-risk areas, without fear of negative consequences for their future employment.
The Officers welcomed the ongoing collaboration between ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo and IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, and they commended the IMO’s leadership in coordinating international efforts to address this urgent situation.
About the Special Tripartite Committee (STC)
The Special Tripartite Committee is the body established under Article XIII of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC, 2006), bringing together governments, shipowners, and seafarers to keep the working of the Convention under continuous review.
Seafarers Stranded in the Strait of Hormuz and Ongoing Safety Challenges
For about eight weeks, crews including Indian Capt. Rahul Dhar and his team have remained stranded on vessels in the Persian Gulf as the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively shut due to conflict. Around 20,000 seafarers on hundreds of vessels are unable to cross the strait, with dozens of ships attacked and at least 10 seafarers reported killed. Crews have witnessed drones, missile interceptions, and explosions near their vessels, creating tension, uncertainty, and strain, while some ships have reported shortages of food and drinking water and limited communication with families. Sailors and their families face ongoing anxiety, with distress calls reported and some seafarers experiencing isolation and fear as they remain anchored in high-risk areas. Despite limited crew changes and efforts to maintain supplies, uncertainty continues, with no clear timeline for safe passage and statements indicating that there is no safe transit anywhere in the Strait of Hormuz under current conditions.