Industrial relations and international conventions

Industrial relations are defined as the management of work-related obligations and entitlements between employers and their employees. Primary responsibilities are to monitor wages, employment rights, obligations and employment conditions. The issues of industrial relations, such as freedom of association, union protection and collective bargaining, are crucial when discussing the working and living conditions of human resources in the broad maritime domain. Meanwhile, international conventions and codes provide the international conventional standards when ratified by countries. In this case, the international conventions and codes which countries ratify may influence the way countries behave, both domestically and internationally. However, due to the fierce competition, particularly under the influence of globalisation, among shipping companies and maritime states, cost-cutting has become a crucial strategy for a firm’s development. In this situation, cost reduction has impacted human resources especially maritime workers, such as seafarers and stevedores. The tensions urge interaction between employees’ professional bodies and associations and employers to address their own interests.