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STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS
2026 No. 598
MERCHANT SHIPPING
The Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention)
(Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026
Made - - - - 15th June 2026
Laid before Parliament 17th June 2026
Coming into force - - 9th July 2026
The Secretary of State, with the consent of the Treasury, makes these Regulations in exercise of the
powers conferred by sections 84A(1)(a), 84B(4)(a) and (c) and (5) to (7) and 302(1) of the Merchant
Shipping Act 1995(1).
Citation, commencement and extent
1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention)
(Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026 and come into force on the 22nd day after the day
on which they are made.
(2) These Regulations extend to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Amendment of the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Minimum
Requirements for Seafarers etc.) Regulations 2014
2.—(1) The Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Minimum Requirements for
Seafarers etc.) Regulations 2014(2) are amended as follows.
(2) In Schedule 3 (information to be included in a shipowner’s security document)(3), in
paragraph 1(g), for “owner of the ship” substitute “shipowner, or of the registered owner if different
from the shipowner”.
(3) In Schedule 4 (information to be included in an abandonment security document)(4) in
paragraph 1(g), for “owner of the ship” substitute “shipowner, or of the registered owner if different
from the shipowner”.
(1) 1995 c. 21. Sections 84A and 84B were inserted by section 57 of the Employment Rights Act 2025 (c. 36).
(2) S.I. 2014/1613, amended by S.I. 2018/667; there are other amending instruments but none is relevant.
(3) Schedule 3 was inserted by S.I. 2018/667.
(4) Schedule 4 was inserted by S.I. 2018/667.Document Generated: 2026-06-17
Status: This is the original version (as it was originally made). This
item of legislation is currently only available in its original format.
Amendment of the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Recruitment and
Placement) Regulations 2014
3.—(1) The Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Recruitment and Placement)
Regulations 2014(5) are amended as follows.
(2) After regulation 6 (duty on employment agencies and businesses to provide financial system
of protection) insert—
“Duty on employment agencies and businesses to provide information about system of
protection
6A. An employment agency or employment business introducing or supplying a work-
seeker to a hirer for the purposes of employment as a seafarer on a sea-going ship must ensure
that the work-seeker is informed, prior to or in the process of engagement, of the rights which
would be available to the work-seeker as a seafarer under any system of protection established
under regulation 6.”.
(3) In regulation 8(1) (offences), after “6(2)” insert “, 6A”.
Amendment of the Merchant Shipping (Fees) Regulations 2018
4.—(1) The Merchant Shipping (Fees) Regulations 2018(6) are amended as follows.
(2) In Schedule 1 (fees under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995), in the table under paragraph 5
(fees for inspections, etc.) of Part 1 (surveys, inspections and applications for exemption), in section
B (crew accommodation), in the entry for the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention)
(Minimum Requirements for Seafarers etc.) Regulations 2014, in the third column, after “2026/260”
insert “2026/598”.
We consent to the making of these Regulations
Christian Wakeford
Stephen Morgan
Two of the Lords Commissioners of His
10th June 2026 Majesty’s Treasury
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport
Keir Mather
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
15th June 2026 Department for Transport
(5) S.I. 2014/1615, amended by S.I. 2016/510; there are other amending instruments but none is relevant.
(6) S.I. 2018/1104; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 2025/1195, 2026/260.
2Document Generated: 2026-06-17
Status: This is the original version (as it was originally made). This
item of legislation is currently only available in its original format.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations implement certain amendments made to the Maritime Labour Convention 2006
by making amendments to the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Minimum
Requirements for Seafarers etc.) Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/1613) (“the Minimum Requirements
Regulations”) and the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Recruitment and
Placement) Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/1615) (“the Recruitment and Placement Regulations”).
The relevant amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 were approved at the 110th
session of the International Labour Conference on 6th June 2022. The Regulations also make
consequential amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Fees) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1104) (“the
Fees Regulations”).
Regulation 53G(1) of the Minimum Requirements Regulations requires a shipowner to ensure
that, for each shipowner’s security in force in relation to a ship, a shipowner’s security document
containing the information specified in Schedule 3 to those Regulations is carried on board.
Similarly, regulation 53Q(1) of the Minimum Requirements Regulations requires a shipowner to
ensure that, for each abandonment security in force in relation to a ship, an abandonment security
document containing the information specified in Schedule 4 to those Regulations is carried on
board.
Regulation 2 of these Regulations amends the list of information required by Schedules 3 and 4
to the Minimum Requirements Regulations to be included in a shipowner’s security document and
abandonment security document to ensure that the identity of the registered owner of the ship is
included where different from the identity of the shipowner.
Regulation 3 of these Regulations amends the Recruitment and Placement regulations by inserting a
new regulation 6A, which requires employment agencies and businesses to ensure that work-seekers
are informed, prior to or in the process of their engagement, of the rights available to them as seafarers
under the financial system of protection established under regulation 6.
Regulation 4 of these Regulations makes consequential amendments to the Fees Regulations.
Copies of the amendments of 2022 to the Maritime Labour Convention may be downloaded from the
website of the International Labour Organisation at https://www.ilo.org/resource/conference-paper/
ilc/110/amendments-2022-code-maritime-labour-convention-2006-amended-mlc-2006. Copies of
the Maritime Labour Convention may be downloaded from the website of the
International Labour Organization at https://www.ilo.org/international-labour-standards/maritime-
labour-convention-2006 or obtained as a priced publication from www.tsoshop.co.uk, or by post
from TSO Customer Services, 18 Central Avenue, St. Andrew’s Business Park, Norwich NR7 0HR,
telephone number: +44 (0) 333 202 5070.
A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact
on the private or voluntary sector is foreseen.
An Explanatory Memorandum and a de minimis assessment have been prepared and are published
alongside the instrument on www.legislation.gov.uk.
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