국제노동기구(ILO)는 해상근로자의 근로조건 향상과 양호한 근로환경의 보장 및 근로인격의 향상을 위하여 꾸준한 노력을 기울려 왔으며 1996년까지 채택된 39개의 해사협약과 29개의 권고를 채택하였다. 기존 해사협약은 새로운 해상 근로 환경의 변화에 따른 요구를 충족하지 못하며, 중복되는 것이 많고, 복잡한 개정구조로 인한 최신화의 어려움 등, 여러 문제점이 있다는 것이 제기되어 왔다. 이에 ILO는 2001년부터 해사 노동기준의 기존 내용을 최신화하고, 통합하는 작업을 시작하여 2006년 2월 23일 2006년 해사노동협약(Maritime Labour Convention 2006)을 채택하였다1). 따라서 여기에서는 기존 해사협약에서는 볼 수 없었던 새로운 사항에 관한 특징을 중심으로 그 의의에 관하여 살펴보고, 향후 해운산업에서의 해사노동 문제에 미치는 영향에 관하여 고찰하였다.

ILO has contributed for seafarers to promote conditions of employment and decent work through maritime labour standards. Between 1920 and 1996, a total of 39 Conventions and 29 Recommendations concerning seafarers have been adopted, which demonstrates the important part of ILO activities devoted to seafarers' questions. But many instruments were outdated, deficient and not reflective of modern practice, many contained technical detail which discouraged ratification. The Governing Body of ILO, at its 262nd Session(March-April 1995), decided to set up a Working Party regarding the revision of maritime labour standards. This Working Party initiated its examination of maritime instruments to 273rd Session(November 1998) of the Governing Body. The review made by the Working Party has concluded that existing maritime Conventions were considered either up to date or were identified for promotion, most of which were approved by the Governing Body. Therefore, ILO started to create a single, coherent instrument embodying as far as possible all up-to-date standards of existing maritime labour conventions. The Maritime Labour Convention 2006 was adopted in February 2006. This paper aims to analyze the significance of this Convention and the influence regarding to maritime labour affairs in the field of shipping industry.

• 지상원 | Ji, Sang-Won