A seafarer recruitment and placement service must-
- maintain a register of every seafarer recruited or placed by the service, which register must be available for inspection by the Authority;
- ensure that seafarers are informed of their rights and duties under their employment agreements prior to engagement; that proper arrangements are made for seafarers to examine their employment agreements before and after they are signed; and that the seafarers concerned receive copies of their agreements;
- verify that seafarers recruited or placed by the service are properly qualified and hold the appropriate qualifications for the position;
- ensure that the shipowner has the means to repatriate seafarers;
- examine and respond to any complaint about the placement and recruitment of seafarers by the service;
- forward to SAMSA all complaints received about on-board working or living conditions;
- establish a system of protection, by way of insurance or an equivalent system, to compensate seafarers recruited and placed by them for any monetary losses that they may incur as a result of the failure of the service to meet its obligations to them;
- advise the seafarer accordingly if the ship on which the seafarer is to be placed, is registered in a country that has not ratified the Convention, and of any possible problems;
- advise the seafarer of any particular conditions applicable to the job, and the shipowner’s policies relating to employment;
- ensure that requests for information or advice directed by the families of seafarers who are at sea, are dealt with promptly, sympathetically and at no cost;
- ensure that the shipowner has in place financial protection to cover-
(i) medical costs in the event of an accident;
(ii) funeral and death benefits, including the repatriation of the body;
(iii) loss of personal belongings due to an accident to the ship; and
(iv) repatriation costs in the event that the seafarer is stranded in any port; and
- ensure the confidentiality of documents submitted by a seafarer.