The Panama Maritime Authority (AMP), as a signatory of the Tokyo and Paris Memorandums of Understanding, informed its fleet about the start of the joint Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) to enforce international standards on labor issues.
This campaign is conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC, 2006). It will take place from September 1 to November 30, 2024.
The AMP announced through a Merchant Marine Notice (MMN) that each vessel in the fleet will be subject to only one CIC inspection.
The purposes of the CIC are to:
- Better understand the employment conditions of seafarers
- Verify the measures taken by the shipping company to fulfill its obligations
- Confirm that the Seafarers’ Employment Agreement (SEA) and their employment conditions comply with the provisions of the MLC, 2006 and the Flag State requirements
- Ensure that the seafarers serving on board of the vessels receive payments in accordance with their SEA, collective bargaining agreements (CBA), and MLC, 2006
- Verify that the two financial security guarantees are maintained on board the vessel in accordance with the aforementioned international instruments.
If deficiencies are found during the inspection campaign, actions will be taken by the Port State, ranging from recording the irregularities and instructing the captain to correct the situations, to detaining the vessel in case of serious deficiencies.
The AMP urges all shipowners, operators, crew members, and legal representatives of Panamanian-flagged vessels, as well as the Recognized Organizations (ROs) of the Panamanian Merchant Marine, to review and enforce the standards of the MLC, 2006.
