Respect for
the Human Rights of Seafarers
The human rights issues of seafarers can be divided into two categories: during on board

and collective bargaining, and access to remedy for grievances raised. Privacy is also

to express their willingness to work on board through an ethical recruitment and hiring

time after disembarkation, seafarers need to plan for their own and their family's future andservice and before/after time on board. Before embarkation, seafarers should be able

important for seafarers, who spend 24 hours a day on vessels. Furthermore, during family

process. They should also receive appropriate training in the skills they will need on board.
Long-term onboard service should be completed within a defined period of time, while

ensuring occupational health and safety, including mental health, freedom of association

improve their living standards, while gaining their families' understanding of their work on
board, which requires them to be away from home for long periods of time. Our initiatives
to respect the human rights of seafarers in these aspects are provided below.

■ Seafarer’s journey from recruitment to disembarkation●Number of
seafarers in
NYKSM, etc.

manning pool asof December 2022

●Salient humanrights issues

Pre-embarkation / on leave

Serving on board

4,437

6,185

(includes numbers of disembarkation and on leave)

Ethical recruitment practices‥‥Human rights issues

Occupational health and safety

Decent working time

Right to privacy

Access to remedy

Freedom of association andcollective bargaining

Discrimination in the workplace(women)Disembarkation / on leave

Engagement
Accessibility of ﬁnancial services‥‥Actions to enhance the exercise of human rights
NYK Group

Respect for the Human Rights of Seafarers

1Respect for
the Human Rights
of Seafarers

Management for Respecting Human Rights

The basic rights of seafarers and the principles ofoccupational health and safety while seafarers are on

board are set out in the ILO’s Maritime Labour Convention,
2006 (MLC, 2006), an international agreement that cameinto effect on August 20, 2013. Compliance with thisconvention is compulsory for vessels having a gross
tonnage of 500 tons or more. The MLC specifies 16

provisions that require mandatory compliance, and flagstates and shipowners are required to take measures

to ensure implementation of these provisions. Specificmeasures to be taken by flag states and shipowners areprovided in Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance(DMLC)* Part I and DMLC Part II. DMLC Part II is subject toapproval by flag states.

At NYK, we have incorporated MLC requirements into oursafety management system (SMS), which was establishedin accordance with the International Safety Management

Code (ISM Code) that came into effect on July 1, 2002, and
we engage in management that can ensure compliancethrough systemization and the preparation of manuals.

In addition, through such management, we are achieving
respect for the human rights of seafarers on vessels

managed by the NYK Group, and through NAV9000, ourproprietary assessment system, we confirm the status of
MLC compliance of ship-management companies (everyyear) and the ships they manage (every three years).

* The Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance (DMLC) is a documentthat outlines how a flag state and shipowner are to comply with MLC
requirements.

■ Provisions required of flag states and shipowners by MLC(1) Minimum age(2) Medical certification(3) Qualifications of seafarers(4) Seafarers’ employment agreements(5) Use of any licensed or certified or regulated private
recruitment and placement service(6) Hours of work or rest

(7) Manning levels for the ship(8) Accommodation(9) On-board recreational facilities(10) Food and catering(11) Health and safety and accident prevention(12) On-board medical care(13) On-board complaint procedures(14) Payment of wages(15) Financial security for repatriation(16) Financial security relating to shipowner’s liability

More
Information

Safety Standard NAV9000
https://www.nyk.com/english/esg/social/nav9000/

NYK Group

Respect for the Human Rights of Seafarers

2

Respect for
the Human Rights
of Seafarers

Initiatives for Respecting Human Rights−Pre-embarkation / on leave

Ethical recruitment practices

NYK confirms the ethical recruitment
practices of its manning agents.
There is growing interest worldwide in ethical recruitment
practices to ensure that workers are not exploited. MLC
Regulation 1.4 prescribes the “Use of any licensed orcertified or regulated private recruitment and placement
service,” and MLC Standard A1.4.5(b) stipulates mattersdescribed below regarding the work practices of theseagents for each member country and prohibits the
exploitation of seafarers.*

This private recruitment and placement service for

seafarers — or personnel placement service for the

India, Croatia, Romania, Indonesia, China, Viet Nam,

results of the manning agents by the competent authority

Ethiopia.

whether NYKSM's requirements under the MLC are being

Russia, Myanmar, Nigeria, Angola, Panama, Singapore, and* https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:91:0::::P91_SECTION:MLCA_AMEND_A1■ Number of seafarers on ships managed by NYK Group
ship-management companies 
Ship managementcompanyOn
board

NYKSM, LNGSMJP, LNGSMUK,
NiMiC, Hachiuma Steamship,
Asahi Shipping, GAZOCEAN,
etc.

6,185

（As of December 2022）

On
leave

Total

4,437

10,622

Manning agents in each country (basically one agentof a ship-management company or manning company,

the NYK Group. NYK establishes manning policies andand signs employment agreements with seafarers onbehalf of a shipowner or ship-management company.

Therefore, although seafarers are directly employed bya shipowner or ship-management company, a manning

agent is involved in all employment agreements. Manning
agents are issued licenses after being audited by thecompetent authority in each country. Companies that do
not pass an audit by a government agency are not issued
licenses.

The seafarers on NYK Group–managed ships account for
57% of the seafarers used on all ships operated by NYK,

and as of December 2022 exceeded 10,000. The seafarers
hail from 15 countries including Japan, the Philippines,

met. In addition to audits of manning agents, NYKSM also

conducts audits at clinics where pre-embarkation medical
examinations are conducted to ensure that the medical
examinations are conducted according to procedures.

In its audits of ship-management companies, NYK also
confirms the results of audits conducted by manningcompanies of manning agents.

■ Seafarer recruitment and hiring process
NYK

recruitment of seafarers — is called a “manning agent.” A

manning agent recruits and hires seafarers at the request

in each country, and confirmation of records to determine

per country) recruit seafarers for ships managed by

gives instructions to all manning agents through shipmanagement companies and manning companies
and requests its agents to undertake the ethicalrecruitment of personnel in line with these instructions.
Furthermore, through communication with ship-

Ship-management company
Manning company(NYKSM, etc.)

Instruction to
Manning Agent

Employment
agreements

Manning agent

management companies, NYK endeavors to obtain timely
information concerning the manning agents that the

ship-management companies engage, and also conducts
regular audits of the ship-management companies thatengage those manning agents. NYK Ship Management Pte.
Ltd. (NYKSM), which is a manning company, also conducts

audits of manning agents each year based on the MLC. The

Seafarers

content to be checked includes confirmation of the audit

NYK Group

Respect for the Human Rights of Seafarers

3Respect for
the Human Rights
of Seafarers

Occupational health and safety

Initiatives for Respecting Human Rights−Serving on board

Right to privacy

Freedom of association and collective bargaining

We are working to create a workplace andliving environment that is both physicallyand mentally healthy.
Prior to boarding, seafarers on vessels managed by the
NYK Group undergo pre-embarkation briefing by themanning agent. At the pre-embarkation briefing, seafarers
are given an overview of their boarding contract, labor

agreement, and the ship they will be boarding. They arealso briefed on the latest instructions on work healthand safety and safe operations by the ship-managementcompany. In addition, the seafarers are briefed on the
Drug and Alcohol Policy (D&A Policy),*1 compliance,harassment, and procedures for reporting complaints.

Using the ship-management platform NiBiKi, seafarers areable to check details of these briefings and instructions at
any time while they are on board. In occupational healthand safety, seafarers not only receive pre-embarkation
briefings but also undergo various types of training

including danger simulation training. In addition, under

our POPEYES Project (Promotion of Physical and Mental
Enrichment of Yusen Group Employees and Seafarers)
aimed at enhancing the mental and physical health ofseafarers, we are also working to support seafarers inin areas such as attention span, concentration, and stressmanagement through 3-minute exercises that adopt

Eastern medicine effective in addressing mental healthand work disabilities. Although seafarers are on board

for 24-hours a day, they are given single rooms (generallywith a toilet and shower), and they can access the internet
free of charge and enjoy communicating with family and■ Main content included in the pre-embarkation briefing andtraining

Pre-embarkation
briefing

Boarding procedures, contract details(particularly the handling of matters suchas the contract period, contract salary,war risk areas), compliance, harassment,
D&A policy, complaint procedures,
feedback on recent scandals andaccidents on board, etc.

Training

SMS training, risk assessment training,
danger simulation training, maintenancework training, etc.

friends during their time off duty in an environment thatcaters to privacy. Because the point of contact for labormanagement negotiations differs for each ship (eachship flag) seafarers are not free to choose their own labor
union. While they are on board, however, all seafarers

belong to unions such as the All Japan Seamen's Union(JSU)* 2 and the Associated Marine Officers' and Seamen's

Learn more about our other seafarer education programs*1 The Drug and Alcohol Policy (D&A Policy) sets down provisions
regarding drugs and alcohol. There are bans on drugs and guidelines
on the use of medicines and alcohol.

More
Information

Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP).*3*2 The All Japan Seamen's Union (JSU) is an industrial trade union
comprising seafarers who work in the international (oceangoing) anddomestic shipping and passenger ship business, fisheries, and port
maritime industries, as well as workers other than seafarers working
in these areas. As of July 2022, there were approximately 80,000 union
members.

here.

Developing Training Programs for Seafarers
https://www.nyk.com/english/esg/social/traning/#anc-09*3 The Associated Marine Officers' and Seamen's Union of the Philippines(AMOSUP) is the largest seafarers' union in the Philippines and isaffiliated with the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF).
The number of union members as of 2022 was more than 100,000.

physical efforts such as maintaining an ideal body throughexercise promotion and dietary management. The project
also helps seafarers stay in tune with their own emotional
and physical condition and enhance mental self-control

NYK Group

Respect for the Human Rights of Seafarers

4Respect for
the Human Rights
of Seafarers

Initiatives for Respecting Human Rights−Serving on board

Decent working time

Access to remedy

We worked with governments to realize
appropriate boarding periods for
seafarers.

We provide multiple points of contact
for consultation and strive to respond
appropriately to inquiries.

Countries around the world have imposed restrictions

Seafarers who raise a complaint continue to work onof COVID-19, and this situation resulted in problems

is extremely important for them to receive remedy ason the movement of people due to the global spreadwith crew changes. To address this issue, we set up aninter-company task force. In addition to lobbying thegovernments of various countries and the International
Maritime Organization (IMO) through the Japan

Shipowners' Association and industry groups to solve

problems, we encouraged the governments of countries
where seafarers are from to charter flights and operate
special flights. See below for details.
More
Information

Our mission: Keep the logistics lifeline open! (2)https://www.nyk.com/english/news/2021/covidinfo_20210625_01.html

board even after filing their complaint. Therefore, itsoon as possible after voicing their concern before theproblem becomes intractable or serious. This is why

ship-management companies are required to create anenvironment, climate, and culture conducive to speaking
up, as well as to build a legitimate system. Furthermore,

MLC Regulation 5.1.5 requires that a shipowner shall haveas an intermediary and request that the party be present
during onboard discussions. A seafarer who finds it

difficult to speak up on board may also speak to theship-management company's help desk (Assist Me). For

example, if a seafarer addresses his/her complaint to theship-management company, land-based staff may visit

the ship when it calls into port depending on the situation.
A seafarer who finds it difficult to speak out not only on

board but also with the ship-management company mayreport the matter to the International Transport Workers’
Federation (ITF) or the flag state. In this way, various

channels for lodging complaints are made available toseafarers. They are informed of these and make use ofthem accordingly.

onboard complaint procedures for seafarers and resolve

complaints of seafarers. The regulation also prohibits any
kind of victimization of a seafarer for filing a complaint.

In pre-embarkation briefings, we provide seafarers whoboard vessels managed by the NYK Group with details of

their rights as seafarers and explain that there are various
internal and external options for filing a complaint if they
feel their rights have been violated, and that these havebeen established in onboard complaint procedures. The

onboard complaint procedures also state that no seafarer
will be victimized for filing a complaint.

When speaking up on board, a seafarer may consult withthe boatswain, chief officer, chief engineer or, if he or

she so desires, anyone the seafarer feels comfortable
talking to, including the captain. Furthermore, if a

seafarer so desires, he/she may designate a third party
NYK Group

Respect for the Human Rights of Seafarers

5Respect for
the Human Rights
of Seafarers

Initiatives for Respecting Human Rights−Serving on board

Discrimination in the workplace (women)

We are taking active steps to recruitand train female maritime officers andengineers.
The shipping industry has long been perceived as a maledominated industry. Among the reasons for this is theassumption that seafarers' duties require long voyages

that will interfere with raising children or providing nursing
care to family members, duties that are perceived from abiased viewpoint as the domain of women. There is also

the view that a seafarer’s work is physically demanding or

harsh, as a result, there is not enough social recognition of"women seafarers".

In 2004, NYK took the lead in recruiting female officers

ahead of other Japanese companies that offer overseas

shipping services, and as of April 1, 2022, 22 female officers■ Percentage of female navigation officers and engineers(seafarers) at NYK Headquarters

No. of long-term
employees
No. of newgraduate hires

MoreInformation

FY2019FY2020

FY2021

Male

574

575

577

Female19 (3.2%)

19 (3.2%)

19 (3.2%)

Male

24

20

22

Female1 (4.0%)2 (9.1%)

3 (12.0%)

Working at Sea: Female Seafarers, NYK Promotes
Woman to Captain for First Time in Company History
https://www.nyk.com/english/esg/social/diversity/
NYK Report 2022 Data Edition
https://www.nyk.com/english/esg/pdf/2022_humanresourcesdata.pdf#page=2

were active at both sea and onshore. In fiscal 2021, theratio of female seafarers was 3.2%. In April 2017, the firstfemale captain in NYK’s 132-year history was appointed.
NYK is committed to developing psychologically andphysically safe workplaces and living environments forfemale seafarers by improving facilities and amenities thatwill be comfortable for female seafarers and providing
personal protective equipment and work clothes

appropriate for the physique of female seafarers. NYK

will also promote human resource development throughthe provision of mentoring, workshops, and seminars forfemale seafarers.

NYK Group

Respect for the Human Rights of Seafarers

6Respect for
the Human Rights
of Seafarers

Initiatives for Respecting Human Rights−Disembarkation / on leave

Engagement

We strive to maintain our seafarer retention
rate through employee engagement initiatives.
At NYK, we hold meetings in various regions for seafarers
while they are off duty (period from when they returnhome until they next board a ship for work). In 2022, we
held meetings in five locations in the Philippines, four

We believe that our seafarer retention rate is higher

remittance, and currency exchange services, as well as

engagement initiatives.

via a mobile app. MarCoPay not only provides its own■ Retention rate of seafarers of all nationalities at NYKSM overthe past five years

（％）
100

locations in India, and two locations in Eastern Europe

90

holding discussions on recent topics such as COVID-19

80

during the year. Such meetings serve as venues forresponse measures and workshops based on case studies
of recent accidents. During these meetings, we also

share procedures related to ship-management systems
and manning procedures that are new or are not being

followed as well as matters where seafarers have a lot ofquestions requiring explanations. These regional meetings
also provide opportunities for direct dialogue between

seafarers and NYK's top management, much like a town
hall meeting. In the Philippines, we also hold seminars
and events for families and children at the same time.

loan and insurance services with preferential conditions,than the industry average as a result of our employee

0

85.6

92.2

93.3

92.8

competitive financing but also offers housing andautomobile financing and insurance with preferentialconditions from partner banks. Thus, seafarers canreceive financial services to suit their economic means
under favorable conditions. We believe that access to

95.0

MarCoPay will lead to improvement of not only the livesof our NYK seafarers but also the lives of approximately

500,000 Filipino seafarers, and approximately 1.5 million
seafarers worldwide. By supporting the career and life

planning of seafarers, including their formation of assets,

we will create an environment in which every seafarer can
2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

(year)

Accessibility of financial services

We are improving the accessibility offinancial services for seafarers.
Many foreign seafarers face various financial challenges

engage in seafaring activities with a sense of economic

security. Through these efforts, we will make the seafaring
profession more attractive to the next generation.
More
Information

MarCoPay Inc.
https://www.marcopayinc.com/
NYK Report 2021. P50-55

https://www.nyk.com/english/esg/nyk/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2021/01/02/2021_nykreport_all.pdf#page=27

including restricted access to financial services due toemployment arrangements based on contracts for eachboarding and boarding periods of six months or longer.

MarCoPay Inc., a member of the NYK Group, is deploying
MarCoPay, a financial services platform for seafarers,
which currently caters mainly to seafarers from thePhilippines, one of the world's leading suppliers ofseafarers. Using e-money, MarCoPay provides payroll,
NYK Group

Respect for the Human Rights of Seafarers

7Respect for
the Human Rights
of Seafarers

Initiatives for Respecting Human Rights−Human Rights Impact Assessment

Human Rights Impact Assessment
In November 2023, we conducted interviews with

Filipino seafarers working on NYK Group-managed ships
through assignment by NYK-Fil Ship Management, Inc.
(NYK-Fil), an agent engaged in manning operations ofFilipino seafarers under NYK Ship Management Pte. Ltd.
(NYKSM), an NYK Group ship management company. As

all seafarers manned by NYK-Fil are male, all interviewees
were also male. Thirty-one seafarers, who were divided■ Process of conducting interviews
Online questionnaire

A questionnaire consistingof up to 50 questions
was administered online(response rate of 92%).
Based on the results of the
responses, the questions
were narrowed down to
the right content at thetime of the interview.

Interview

Based on the results of the online questionnaire, interview was held by focusing on six key areas: Forced labour(No fees are charged to migrant workers), Decent wages, Decent working time, Occupational health and safety,
Discrimination in the workplace and Access to remedy.
Group interview Seafarers

Decent working time

seafarers’ families, were interviewed in Tagalog, which
Mission to Seafarers*1, with the cooperation of CRT Japan,
a third party. There are two ranks of seafarers: officers

and ratings. Even though all interviewees were officers,
they also alluded to the experiences of their colleaguesof ratings during the 40-minute interviews. Based on

the results of an online questionnaire survey conducted

beforehand (response rate: 92%), the interviews focused
mainly on the six topics of forced labor (whether fees
■ Overview of interviews
Date

Targetedbusiness(its Rights
holders)

Company
to whichthe rights
holders
belongthirty-one
seafarers, whowere divided
into six groupsof five or six
seafarers

Occupational healthand safety

Discrimination in theworkplace
Access to remedy
Motivation to workon NYK Groupmanaged ships
OthersGroup interview –Seafarers and his
familyKey human rights
issues to focus

Decent wages

Access to remedy

Interview format

Group interviews with
Oceangoing NYK-Fil Ship thirty-one seafarers,
November
who were divided into
Management,
Shipping
six groups of five or six
2023
Inc.
(seafarers)
seafarers, as well as fiveseafarers’ families

Forced labour (Nofees are charged tomigrant workers)
Decent wages

into six groups of five or six seafarers, as well as fiveis understood by all seafarers, by the Manila office of

Key human rights
issues to focus

Discrimination in theworkplace

five seafarers’
families

Motivation to workon NYK Groupmanaged ships
Othersinterview item

Have you ever paid for a recruitment or early manning facility on board a NYK Groupmanaged ships, and if yes, to whom?

What experience do you have of changes in salary over the past few years? Do you feel
it is less than you expected? What do you think brought about the change? Do you
work while disembarking? If yes, what kind of work do you do while disembarking?

How do you record your working time, and if any overtime occurs, can you think of any
reasons why overtime occurs?
Please tell us about any seafarer accidents or work-related injuries you or yourcolleagues have experienced, and the type and duration of their treatment.

Can you tell us about any experiences of discrimination or harassment you or yourcolleagues have had? How do you think it could have been / can be prevented?
Please tell us your experience of using grievance mechanisms. What complaints
contact points have you used? And what kind of response did you feel satisfied ordissatisfied with at that contact point?

What are your reasons and motivations for wanting to work on NYK Group-managed
ships?

If you have any specific suggestions for improvement to NYK based on your working
experience on NYK Group-managed ships, such as regarding 'food', ‘wage', 'crew
rotation schedule', 'employee welfare', ‘management behaviors', 'on-board rest time’etc., please let us know.
interview item

Please tell us about the amount of money you were paid for your most recent work on
NYK Group-managed ships.
Is there a contact point for family members to consult if they have any problems while
their husband or father is on board or disembarking the ship? If yes, have you actuallyused such a contact point? If yes, please tell us about your experience of using thecontact point.

Have you had any negative experiences because your husband or father was a seafarer?
If so, can you tell us about this experience to the extent you feel comfortable doing so?

What are your reasons and motivations for wanting to work on NYK Group-managed
ships?

As a family, how do you perceive your husband/father being a seafarer? Do you have any
concerns or problems because your husband or father is a seafarer, or as a seafarer with afamily? If so, how would you like to see them improved, and from whom and what kind of
support would you like to receive in order to improve them? Conversely, is there anything
you find 'good' about having a husband or father who is a seafarer? What are they?
NYK Group

Respect for the Human Rights of Seafarers

8Respect for
the Human Rights
of Seafarers

Initiatives for Respecting Human Rights−Human Rights Impact Assessment

are charged), decent wages, decent working time,

into a collective bargaining agreement for each ship

workplace, and access to remedy, as well as motivation toeffectively belong to a trade union when boarding a ship.

occupational health and safety, discrimination in thework on NYK Group-managed ships.

The seafarers noted in the interviews that NYK Group-

managed ships are safe, the rotation plan (ship allocationplan) at NYK-Fil is flexible, extensive training opportunities
are available for career advancement, and warm,

generous support is provided by NYK-Fil. They mentioned

a sufficient system of support and were generally satisfied
with the current pay level on NYK Group-managed ships.
They were also satisfied with the NYK-Fil’s flexibility inresponding to them, including giving them opportunities
to work onshore when necessitated by their personal

circumstances. All received compensation well above
the 25,850 pesos*2 ($462.62, at the exchange rate ofJanuary 12, 2024) that third-party CRT Japan referenced
as the local living wage in Manila, and it was confirmedthat the average compensation of the 30 interviewees

was 10 times higher than the living wage*3 . Most of themwere graduates of the NYK-TDG Maritime Academy andassigned as officers on NYK Group-managed ships throughwith a seafarers' trade union . As a result, all seafarers

If they have a problem aboard a ship, they have access toseveral grievance mechanisms, including those of NYK-

Fil, NYKSM (called Assist Me), unions and port authorities.
In actuality, most seafarers use Assist Me, and many aresatisfied with using this mechanism. On the other hand, it
was discovered that one seafarer had concerns about thehandling of personal information when using Assist Me.

It was also found that even though seafarers can receive
treatment from a doctor through telemedicine wheninjured or ill aboard, some may be reluctant to report theirinjuries or illnesses to the company for fear of missingout on boarding opportunities. In response, NYK-Fil will
ensure proper handling of the information in grievancemechanisms and encourage the reporting of injuries

and illnesses through the “Healthcare Program.” Someseafarers feel “nationality-based discrimination,” which

may be due to a misunderstanding of the company’s actual
intent. NYK-Fil plans to explain the company’s intent anddiscuss this topic with seafarers.

NYK-Fil. No companies besides NYK-Fil are involved in the

NYK-Fil believes that two-way communication between

from seafarers is prohibited by national law, and NYK-Fil’foundation for respecting the human rights of seafarers.

officers’ recruitment and hiring process. Charging of feess Code of Conduct explicitly prohibits receiving money orgoods from seafarers. All interviewees said that they were
never charged fees of any kind.

In operating NYK Group-managed ships, NYK enters

An interview with seafarers

the company and seafarers and their families is the

While striking a balance between communicating thecompany’s intent and listening to the voices of seafarers,
we will continue to maintain the kind of communicationthat will help to identify and fill gaps in the awarenessbetween the company and seafarers.

An interview with a seafarer and his family*1 Mission to Seafarers, a foundation based in London, England, provides
support to seafarers in 200 ports through Seafarers Centres spread
across 50 countries. Founded in 1836, it was renamed to its current
name in 2000. https://www.missiontoseafarers.org/*2 According to a report published by the Philippines-based IBONFoundation in October 2023, the living wage for a family of fivein Manila is 25,850 pesos. https://www.ibon.org/wp-content/
uploads/2023/11/flw-ncr-2310-landscape.png*3 It should be noted, however, that in accordance with the international
standard Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC), the maximum
period of service on board is less than 11 months.
NYK Group

Respect for the Human Rights of Seafarers

9