It’s improved crew accommodations.
Having gone through 2 changes of flag, the UK is a) compliant but also extends the the MLC to <500 gt and work boats…
I cannot speak to large ships, but as to tugs, Canada, UK, and Northern Europe have been decades ahead of the US for a long time.
Here is the status of compliance of MLC by signatory countries:
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:11300:0::NO::P11300_INSTRUMENT_ID:312331
There are abt. 1000 ships within Singapore port limits at any time, year around, so a few US flag ships are not many.
I did see some at the shipyards from time to time, both commercial vessels and USNS, but very few US flagged offshore vessels are operating in the region any more.
I did survey a US flag OSV sometime after MLC came into force and the question of compliance came up. I believe it was covered by some short term “Letter of Compliance”, or some such thing.
So not the US then…
I often hear it said that large union ships are essentially MLC compliant.
I think very few smaller US vessels (which is the probably 95% of US vessels) would be compliant
That’s correct, US is not signatory:
Here is U.S. Coast Guard: NAVIGATION AND VESSEL INSPECTION CIRCULAR (NVIC) NO. 02-13
Subj: GUIDANCE IMPLEMENTING THE MARITIME LABOUR CONVENTION, 2006
The MLC enters into force on 20 August 2013. Under the MLC, certain vessels flagged by ratifying countries are required to maintain a valid MLC certificate issued by their flag administration. As of the effective date of this NVIC, the United States has not ratified the MLC.
Because of the “no more favorable treatment” clause, American ships will be subject to inspection at MLC-ratified foreign ports and they will be expected to be in compliance. Gorrie notes: “Substantial delays could be caused for a ship to go through a full inspection, then if there are deficiencies the ship will be expected to remedy them before departure, which will affect the economic efficiency of the vessel and its voyage.”
He also notes that between 15,000 and 25,000 seafarers crew members aboard 1,000 American ships will be affected by the MLC “irrespective of U.S. ratification.”
Non-Ratification May Be a Mere Technicality
Whenever a U.S. vessel makes port at a MLC-ratified country, it will still be required to be in compliance with the convention. The U.S. has recognized the impact the convention will have on our country, and the United States Coast Guard aims to help ships voluntarily comply.
The United States Coast Guard’s Guidance Implementing the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 circular and its Statement of Voluntary Compliance (SOVC) certification means that U.S. ship owners still have an instrument that can help them meet MLC standards and avoid negative repercussions of non-compliance.
The bottom-line is that workers aboard American vessels will still be affected by the MLC, regardless of whether or not the U.S. officially ratifies it.