CHENNAI: The International Labour Organisation will introduce a consolidated maritime convention on seafarers' welfare in February next year.

It will incorporate existing provisions and add new ones.

Making the announcement at a press meet here on Wednesday, Jean-Yves Legouas, a senior maritime specialist with the ILO, said India was involved in formulating the convention.

The press meet was convened by the International Committee of Seafarers' Welfare (ICSW) to announce the decisions taken at its three-day seafarers' welfare seminar for South Asia.

India yet to ratify

India is yet to ratify the ILO's Seafarers' Welfare Convention that came into force 15 years ago. For member-countries, getting a consolidated convention ratified by their governments would be relatively easier and simpler than getting the nod for individual conventions.

Excluded

Natalie Wiseman, secretary, International Shipping Federation, said seafarers' identity documents and pension were two of the issues that would not be included in the proposed convention.

She said there was a possibility of the consolidated convention being accorded a mandatory status in terms of its implementation by the member countries.

Giving details of the seminar, the ICSW chairman Bjorn Lodoen, said it discussed the seafarers' welfare issues from "all angles" and came up with a work programme to be implemented in the region from March 2006 to December 2009.

A National Seafarers' Welfare Board comprising representatives from labour unions, religious organisations, ship owners and port authorities, would be formed in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

A regional welfare committee comprising three representatives from each of the NSWB would be set up. Suresh Idnani, a medical practitioner from Goa, would be the first convenor for the meeting of the RWC, which would be held by end-May 2006.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail