The following is written for candidate advice, guidance and potential employment protection.
The draft Seafarers Employment Agreement (SEA) holds vital information for crew, click here to learn more about this. It encompasses as far as possible the yacht’s obligations to you under MLC 2006. It is a good example, as there is not a standard SEA.
SEA’s are required to comply with current applicable national laws and regulations and should include any Collective Bargaining Agreement that may apply to them. Together they should not be less favourable than the minimum standards of MLC.
MLC gives the candidate the right of sufficient time to study the content before and after signing an SEA with the client. The candidate should also receive a copy of the document.
Further general advice is offered below and it is recommended that that you satisfy yourself of these points at, or subsequent to, the interview/s.
You should be sure that all sections of the SEA are completed and acceptable to you.
Where a yacht does not need to comply with MLC (or flies the flag of a country which has not ratified MLC) you should ensure you are happy with the employment agreement on offer. Discover flag states that have currently ratified MLC 2006.
Wilsonhalligan will make sure, as far as practicable, that the client is financially able to fulfil his obligations to you, you should try to determine that you are similarly satisfied.
You should have adequate personal insurance cover provided for you by the client during the period of your employment. If that is not available and you still wish to accept employment, Wilsonhalligan can identify for you recognised industry provider/s from whom you can purchase such insurance. However, Wilsonhalligan do not make recommendations of service providers and do not accept any default of their services to you.
You should not be subject to exploitation by Wilsonhalligan or its clients. Therefore:
- Wilsonhalligan will not charge candidates any direct or ‘hidden’ costs before, during or after the recruitment process.
- Wilsonhalligan will assist next of kin or concerned family members with advice and guidance if requested. In doing so and if necessary, they will first try to verify that the credibility of the relationship is genuine, will advise the candidate of the concerns and pass over contact details of the family member to the candidate in question, (rather than vice versa, for the potential protection of the personal details of the crewmember). To this end, candidates will be required to maintain up to date records of their own personal contact details, for use by Wilsonhalligan.
- It is illegal to engage a person less than 16 years of age on a yacht (or 18 years of age as a Chef). Wilsonhalligan will not therefore nominate such individuals to our clients.
- Should you have any complaint or grievance whilst employed on a yacht, following placement by Wilsonhalligan, you are guided to follow the complaints procedure outlined onboard. At any time you can contact the MCA, either on mlc@mcga.gov.uk or postal address: 105 Commercial Rd, Southampton, SO15 1EG
- Should you have a complaint or grievance concerning the conduct of Wilsonhalligan’s services during the recruitment process please follow the complaints procedure below.
Complaints should normally be made within 14 days of an incident or of the matter coming to the client or seafarer’s attention. This time limit can be extended provided good reasons are supplied for not making the complaint sooner. The company will aim to respond to any complaint within a further 14 days.
Clients and seafarers can make a complaint verbally, in writing, or by email to company Director, Nicola Morgan (nicola@wilsonhalligan.com). If a client or seafarer makes a complaint verbally, a record of that complaint will be made and the client or seafarer will be provided with a written copy. If this remains unresolved we will bring it to the attention of the appropriate representative of the flag state. - Wilsonhalligan provide details of our emergency contact details on the ‘Contact Us’ page of our website – specifically, the mobile numbers of our directors, managers and consultants.
- Wilsonhalligan will prohibit the use of means, mechanisms or blacklists intended to prevent or deter qualified seafarers from gaining employment.
- Wilsonhalligan does not discriminate and welcomes applications from all individuals.
Wilsonhalligan are contracted to provide suitably qualified individuals to our clients. By registering with us, you are agreeing that the information you provide to us is always authentic and an accurate representation of your experience, training, qualifications and marine medical status. You also agree to keep us updated with any renewal or update of certification (including medical). If engaged you will also need to provide your employer or their representatives with your full qualifications, certificates of training and medical documentation together with any other paperwork they may reasonably request.
If you would like to view our MLC Certificate, please contact Nicola@wilsonhalligan.com