[en] In a broad sense, the concept work-life balance is referenced to the full development of people in work, love, family, personal, leisure, study and research fields, and it also includes having time for oneself. From this perspective work-life balance is presented as a basic or fundamental right, as an inseparable part of the labour activity. However the social and labour reality shows us a lot of difficulties related with the work-life balance of all workers. These difficulties become more pronounced for sea workers, whose special time-space labour conditions have given rise to a historical incompatibility between the concepts work-life balance and work at sea. Furthermore it is necessary to take into account that a ship is a people system, managed and crewed by men and women with real needs and real labour and social expectations, that have to work and live together with people from other countries, with other cultures, tongues and religions, confined during long periods of time and in almost total isolation regarding their families and friends. However, and although the activities related with fishing and maritime transport fields are of paramount importance for regional, national and international economy, issues related with the social life of sea workers have been scarcely studied until now. As a result there are few research publications on onboard working effects to seafarers and their families' social relationships. The present paper sheds some light on the special difficulties of work at sea in relation to work-life balance of maritime sector workers. Also several national and international regulations on work-life balance are analyzed as well as the criteria that could be applied to sea workers with the aim of improving this issue. Finally career mapping is proposed as a tool to improve on board working conditions and to make easier the work-family balance of sea workers.

[gl] Nun sentido amplo, o termo conciliación fai referencia ao desenvolvemento pleno das persoas nos ámbitos do traballo, afectivo, familiar, persoal, de lecer, estudo e investigación, e tamén a dispor de tempo propio; e, desde esta perspectiva, a conciliación preséntase como un dereito básico ou fundamental, como unha parte indisociable do propio ámbito laboral. A realidade social e laboral amósanos, porén, unha infinidade de obstáculos relacionados coa conciliación laboral e familiar para todos os traballadores. Estas dificultades de conciliación son aínda máis inxentes para os traballadores do mar, cuxas especiais condicións laborais espazo-temporais deron lugar a que os termos conciliación e mar sexan historicamente incompatibles. Cómpre termos en conta a este respecto que o buque é, ante todo, un sistema de persoas xestionado e tripulado por homes e mulleres con necesidades e expectativas laborais e sociais reais, que teñen que traballar e convivir durante longos períodos de tempo con persoas doutras nacionalidades, culturas, linguas e relixións nun espazo confinado e en case total illamento dos seus familiares e amigos. A pesar de que as actividades relacionadas coa pesca e o transporte marítimo son básicas e primordiais para a economía nos niveis rexional, nacional e internacional, as investigacións sobre as repercusións que o traballo a bordo ten sobre os mariños e a súa contorna familiar son escasas. Así, neste traballo preténdese botar un pouco de luz sobre as dificultades particulares que o traballo no mar presenta para a conciliación laboral, familiar e persoal dos traballadores do sector marítimo. Analízanse ademais diversas normativas de ámbito nacional e internacional que tratan o tema da conciliación ou cuxos criterios poderían ser aplicados co fin de mellorar este aspecto en particular no caso dos traballadores do mar. Por último proponse a planificación profesional como ferramenta para favorecer as condicións de traballo a bordo e a relación traballo-familia destes traballadores.