On board Complaints Procedures
1. Company shall ensure that all ships have the on board complaint procedures, as prescribed by the flag. For the fair, effective and expeditious handling of seafarers complaints alleging breaches of MLC 2006.2. Company shall ensure that all seafarers working on board any ship have a copy of the board complaint procedures. This shall include contact information for the competent authority in the flag state and, where different, in the seafarers’ country of residence, and name of a persons on board the ship who can, on a confidential basis, provide seafarers with impartial advice on their complaint and otherwise assist them in following the complaint procedures available to them on board the ship.3. The company sets a high value to the rights of seafarers to have a fair and reasonable hearing when filing a complaint that he feels is justified.4. All seafarers are to be fairly treated and shall have always a trustworthy advisor, it is expected that seafarers will respond in a faithful and efficient manner to all lawful commands and orders issued by the Master, Officers as appropriate.5. If any seafarer feels that he is being treated unfairly and not in accordance with the provision of the National Law or otherwise discriminated against, he is to follow the procedures as describe below;
a) Bring the complaint to the head of his department. If a seafarer feels more comfortable to address the Master directly he can at any time approach the Master with his complaint. In any case attempts, should be made, as far as possible, to resolve the complaints on board at the lowest level possible.b) Whenever possible the Head of department shall deal the compliant but if not possible then the matter is to be referred to the Master.c) If the seafarer is not satisfied with the way his head of department has handled the complaint then he may address the Master.d) If no satisfactory result could be obtained from either his head department or the Master then the complainant may contact the company either in writing or verbally to DPA or Dy. DPA as contacts are posted on board.e) Any written complaint sent to the company must be routed via the Master, if practicable, who can countersign such letter/email to confirm his awareness of it contents.f) If after a week (7 days) the complaint has not been resolved, seafarers shall have another 7 days thereafter to bring it either through the Master to the company or directly to the company.
6. In the event a chief officer of chief engineer having a complaint against Master an attempt should be made to resolve this on board directly with the Master. In case this in not possible than procedures d and e above must be followed.7. In any case complaint, shall be solved within 20 days. Where a solution is not possible within the prescribed time a justification for extension shall be stated in the complaint report.8. In all cases seafarers have a right to file their complaints directly with the Master and the company and competent authorities.9. Master shall ensure that for sake of good management, seafarers do not have to go beyond the above procedures.10. In order to ensure correctness of handling of complaints, the following procedure must be observed:
a) Log book entries, stating the facts about the complaint, shall be made. This entry is to be signed by witness if possible and by the respective seafarer.b) The seafarer must receive a copy of the entry and he shall countersign as confirmation of being provided with a copy.c) Master shall prepare a separate report, where the exact content of the complaint is described. This report should be signed by the Master and also by the seafarer lodging the complaint.d) For all the above documents, one originally signed copy is to be sent to the company.e) The master shall, together with all seafarers, elect one seafarer who can provide complainants advice on a confidential basis and assist them through the process of lodging a complaint. This process of election of a seafarer must be repeated every time the selected seafarer signs off.