Answer
Ans: Recruitment and Placement Services License is a license issued by the DG Shipping of India to the recruiters and agents carrying out following functions providing a framework for the safety of Indian seafarers employed on Indian and foreign ships, together with essential guarantees of repatriation in the event of stranding or other requirements, even if shipowner does not discharge the duty of repatriating the seafarers to the home port of the
seamen.
The functions of RPSL company include:
1.Maintain an up-to-date register of all seafarers recruited or placed through them
2.Make sure that seafarers are informed of their rights and duties under the employment agreement prior to or in the process of joining ship before they sign and a copy to be provided to them.
3.Verify that seafarers recruited or placed by them are qualified and hold the required Documents.
4.Make sure, as far as practicable, that the shipowner has the means to protect seafarers from being stranded in a foreign port
5.Examine and respond to any complaints concerning their activities and advise the competent authority of any unresolved complaint
6.Establish a system of protection, by way of an Insurance or equivalent, to compensate seafarers for monetary loss that they may incur as a result of failure of a RPS or relevant shipowner under the SEA to meets its obligation to seafarers.
2022 MLC Amendment wrt RPSL:
Standard A1.4 – Recruitment and placement
Replace paragraph 5(c)(vi) by the following:
(vi) establish a system of protection, by way of Insurance or an equivalent appropriate measure,
to compensate seafarers for monetary loss that they may incur as a result of the failure of a recruitment and placement service or the relevant shipowner under the seafarers’ employment agreement to meet its obligations to them, and ensure that seafarers are informed, prior to or in the process of engagement, of their rights under that system.