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Maritime Transport Act 1994

Duties in relation to maritime activity - Duties in relation to crewing

23: Employer’s duties in relation to seafarers on New Zealand ships

You could also call this:

"What ship owners must do to look after their crew"

If you are an employer of seafarers on a New Zealand ship, you have certain duties. You must provide food and water that is suitable for the crew, considering the size of the crew and the duration and nature of the voyage. You must also ensure that any seafarer who needs medical attention while overseas receives the necessary medical attention at your expense.

You must pay wages to every seafarer at the normal rate if the ship is lost or founders, until the seafarer is employed elsewhere or for two months, whichever happens first. You are also responsible for maintaining a record of every seafarer's employment on your ship and providing a copy of this record to the seafarer if they request it.

If you need to pay wages to a seafarer under these rules, you can recover these wages in the same way as you would recover wages earned by the seafarer during their normal employment.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM335668.

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22: Employer’s duties in relation to seafarers of New Zealand ships on overseas voyages, or

"What employers of New Zealand ship seafarers must do when sailing overseas"

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24: Inspection of provisions, or

"Checking the food and supplies on New Zealand ships"

Part 3Duties in relation to maritime activity
Duties in relation to crewing

23Employer’s duties in relation to seafarers on New Zealand ships

  1. Every employer of seafarers on a New Zealand ship shall—

  2. provide food and water supplies which, having regard to the size of the crew and the duration and nature of the voyage, are suitable in respect of quantity, nutritive value, quality, and variety; and
    1. ensure that any seafarer requiring medical attention while overseas receives all necessary medical attention at the employer’s expense; and
      1. in the event of the loss or foundering of the ship, pay to every seafarer wages at the normal rate until—whichever first occurs; and
        1. the seafarer is otherwise employed; or
          1. the expiry of 2 months from the date of the loss or foundering,—
          2. maintain a record (in a form prescribed or in a form approved by the Director) of the employment on board a New Zealand ship of every seafarer employed on that ship by that employer and provide to a seafarer, if requested by that seafarer, a copy of the record applying to that seafarer.

            1. Any wages payable under subsection (1) shall be recoverable in the same manner as wages earned by the seafarer during his or her normal employment.