The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency has sought the review of the Maritime Labour Convention to meet the peculiarities of the different geopolitical areas of the world.
The Director-General, NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, made this known on Monday while addressing participants at the Business Africa meeting at the ongoing 107th session of the International Labour Organisation’s conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
The MLC is an ILO convention established in 2006 as the fourth pillar of international maritime law and embodies all up-to-date standards of existing international maritime labour conventions and recommendations as well as the fundamental principles to be found in other international labour conventions.
Peterside said that after 10 years, the MLC ought to be reviewed to meet the challenges of emerging trends.
He stressed the importance of human factors to successful shipping, stating that it was one of the most important elements in achieving competitive edge and safety in the maritime industry.
The DG noted that the industry must collaborate with workers to develop a strategy that would contribute to the constant development of human resources in the sector.
“Employees are the most critical factor that determines the success of a firm, this is even truer in the maritime industry that is capital intensive and where safety is paramount; so, constant training and development as well as welfare of the workforce must be taken seriously,” a statement from the agency quoted Peterside as saying.
He urged African businessmen to pay greater attention to the welfare of workers in order to be able to compete favourably in the international market, adding that the maritime industry in particular could play greater role in the economic growth of third world countries if the right investments were made in the sector.