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ISF SETS OUT ITS WORRIES ON ILO CONVENTION
Thursday, 14 April 2005
THE International Shipping Federation has set out what it sees as obstacles to the finalisation and eventual ratification of the International Labour Organization’s Consolidated Maritime Convention which is expected to be adopted at a Diplomatic Conference in February 2006. The ISF complains that the existing draft is too complex and contains provisions that that will stop governments from ratifying it.
In a statement to the ILO Tripartite Intersessional Meeting ILO says: “ The production of a comprehensive, up to date and enforceable international labour standards convention that clearly sets out seafarers’ employment rights and obligations is fully supported by the Shipowners’ group. However, this objective will not be achieved unless the Convention is widely ratified by all significant maritime nations, including flag states, port states and labour supply countries. Therefore a prime test to be applied to the acceptability of the draft provisions is whether they will encourage or discourage wide ratification.”
It adds: “The draft convention still contains some obligations that are too detailed, unnecessary and undesirable that will discourage widespread ratification.”
ISF is also concerned that there should be a strictly defined definition of “seafarer”. It says: “The Shipowners’ Group believes that the scope of application of the Convention relating to ships, their trade and the definition of seafarer must be resolved. Repair or service personnel sent out by yards, equipment suppliers or other specialists should not be defined as seafarers even if they perform repairs during a ship’s voyage. Pilots, Dockers and longshoremen should likewise not be deemed to be seafarers.
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