Op-Ed: Seafarers Shouldn't Have to Choose Between Shore Leave and Rest

 

As the International Labour Organization (ILO) meets to consider changes to the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), leading maritime charity?Stella Maris UK?is calling for urgent protections to stop seafarers being forced to choose between shore leave and adequate rest, a decision that no seafarer should have to make. 

“This should never be a choice,” said Tim Hill, CEO of Stella Maris UK. “But for many crew, it’s an unacceptable reality. We regularly meet seafarers who are either denied shore leave on vague ‘operational’ grounds, or are too exhausted to go ashore even when permitted.” 

A recent International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) report backs up what Stella Maris chaplains and ship visitors witness daily: shore leave is becoming harder to access, and many seafarers are sacrificing it out of necessity - not choice - due to relentless working hours. 

In one case, a crew was told not to leave the ship as they were needed to receive provisions - despite already working long hours. In another, a crew on a detained vessel was denied shore leave for two weeks and told to keep working until repairs were complete. When visited by a Stella Maris chaplain, they were visibly exhausted and demoralized. 

Elsewhere, crews showed signs of severe fatigue and deteriorating mental health. One seafarer resigned due to stress, while others were considering breaking their contracts just to get home. 

“There are many ship operators who do the right thing and put crew welfare first,” Hill added. “But the erosion of shore leave and disregard for meaningful rest are having a clear and dangerous impact on crew wellbeing. Without stronger safeguards and consistent enforcement, unsafe working conditions risk becoming the norm.?Adequate rest and access to shore leave must be treated as operational essentials, not optional extras. 

Stella Maris UK is calling on the ILO to strengthen protections and tighten enforcement to ensure that seafarers don’t have to choose between rest and their right to shore leave. 

Stella Maris (formerly known as Apostleship of the Sea) is a registered UK charity. Stella Maris’ chaplains and ship visitors provide fishers and seafarers with practical and pastoral support, information and a listening ear in the UK and worldwide.