The International Labor Organization (ILO) has issued the following news release dated Feb. 7:ILO OPENS 94TH INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONFERENCE, MARITIME SESSION
GENEVA (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) began consideration today of a draft Convention on maritime labour standards, which if adopted will represent the most sweeping and comprehensive global legal instrument ever forged regarding the world’s shipowners, seafarers and maritime nations.
The 10th maritime session of the International Labour Conference will run from today through 23 February. Such maritime sessions are held only every 10 years, while the ILO’s annual labour conference meets every year.
Delegates elected Mr. Jean-Marc Schindler, Director-General for Maritime Affairs, Ministry of Transport, Tourism and the Sea, France, as President of the Conference. Mr. Dierk Lindemann (Employers) of Germany, Mr. Brian Orrell (Workers) of the United Kingdom and Mr. Tatsuya Teranishi (Governments) of Japan were elected Vice-Presidents of the Conference.
Delegates to the Conference are to consider a new, single “framework Convention” on maritime labour standards that consolidates and updates more than 65 international maritime labour standards adopted since the ILO was founded in 1919. The ILO has adopted 185 Conventions setting standards for all aspects of the world of work since its founding.
In his speech to the assembly, Mr. Schindler, characterized the meeting as “a new and unique event in the history of this Organization” and said the Convention marked “the first attempt to create the global instrument for a specific sector of industry.”
He also referred to the two major principles of the Convention, allowing ratifying governments discretion as to the way in which they implement the seafarers’ rights, but setting out firm obligations on governments to respect those rights, backed up by a detailed enforcement system to ensure that the Convention’s provisions are respected.
ILO Director-General Juan Somavia, in his opening remarks, added that the Convention “would be an effective, modern and global response for a truly global industry”.
“This is a major step forward in assuring better protection of workers, a level playing field for shipowners and an effective instrument for governments in providing decent conditions to seafarers. In sum, greater clarity, productivity, safety and security for all,” Mr. Somavia said.
According to Mr. Somavia, the Maritime Session of the International Labour Conference “seeks to ensure the relevance of ILO standards in this era of the globalization of production and work” and “may provide the impetus and support for similar innovative and balanced approaches in other areas.”
Some 1,000 participants representing governments, workers and employers from 100 of the ILO’s 178 member States will discuss the draft Convention over the next three weeks with voting expected on the closing day. Each member country has the right to send four delegates to the Conference: two from government and one each representing workers and employers, each of whom may speak and vote independently.
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