Saturday, 10 April 2021, 6:05 pm Kiwi Seafarers continue to feel shortchanged by the New Zealand Government. On the 1st of December 2020 the UN general Assembly called for all Seafarers to be designated as Key Workers. International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim said “the key worker designation should ensure seafarers and maritime workers receive priority vaccination, to allow them to work and maintain vital global supply chains”. On the 9th of March 2016 New Zealand became signatory to the IMO Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC 2006) this provides a legal framework to governments to ensure that vulnerable seafarers health and wellbeing is taken care of.