Liberia Maritime Authority onboard complaint handling procedure for crewell seafarers requires ship owners to have fair, effective and expeditious process which permits resolution of complaints at the lowest level possible.
However, in all cases seafarers have the right to complain directly to the Master
The external authority as explained in the recommended complaint handling time line given below.
- The complainant has fourteen (12) days from the date of alleged occurrence to lodge an official complaint.
- Crew member’s superior or the Master receiving the complaint must maintain a record of the complaint.
- The seafarer’s superior, Head of the department and/or Master shall endeavor to satisfactorily resolve the complaint within a period of seven (10) days,
- If the satisfactory solution is not possible on board, the complainant has a period of ten (10) days during which he may forward the complaint, through the Master, to the Crew Manager at The Ship Owner.
OR,
if the seafarer feels that the complaint may be to the prejudice of the Master, he may forward it directly to the Crew Manager at The Ship Owner.
- The Fleet Personnel Manager or his nominee shall endevaour to arrive at a solution acceptable to the complainant within a period twenty (20) days,
- If The Ship Owner fails to settle the matter, then either party have a further twenty (20) days to bring the matter for mediation to the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Maritime Affairs.
If there is still no mutually acceptable solution to a complaint then the seafarer and the ship-owner have thirty (30) days to serve a legal notice of demand for arbitration (as per Liberian Maritime Regulation. The Ship Owner is obliged to share the outcome of such arbitration with the Flag Administration..