Wages account

A wages account is the per-seafarer ledger the crew manager maintains showing earnings, overtime, deductions, advances, and allotments, reconciled each month against the ship’s portage bill. MLC 2006 Standard A2.2 requires that seafarers be paid at least monthly, no later than seven days after the end of the wage period, and be given a monthly account of wages and any deductions including the exchange rate applied. The account supports the allotment system that remits wages to families and is the primary evidence in any wage dispute or time-barred claim. Port state control inspecting under the MLC checks wage accounts and allotment records, and unexplained deductions or missing monthly statements are a documented deficiency.