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The
International Labour Organisation
controls on employment standards at
sea could force some flags out of
business after a breakthrough
10-point plan reached at the United
Nations agency’s headquarters in
Geneva last week.
Under
the agreement all maritime nations
in ILO membership will have to run
“a sound maritime
administration” with “a strong
enforcement mechanism”.
Every
flag state will take “overall
responsibility” for seafarers’
rights and “shall have in place
means to enforce decent living and
working conditions on ships flying
its flag wherever they may be in the
world”.
They
will also have to put in place
mechanisms for monitoring shipboard
conditions and see that working
conditions comply with national
laws.
All
states shall provide easy access to
simple and inexpensive procedures
enabling all seafarers, regardless
of nationality and domicile, to make
complaints.
Freedom
of association and the right to
organise unions and engage in
collective bargaining are also
enshrined.
There
are also serious implications for
manning agencies, which are to be
made jointly and severally liable
with shipowners for breach of
contract of employment.
The
pact has been signed by
representatives of ship-ping
employers’ organisations,
seafarers’ unions and governments
as part of the continuing drive to
consolidate decades of ILO
regulations into a single workable
instrument.
Unions
are already expressing considerable
delight at the outcome, arguing that
many flags of convenience will
simply lack the means to comply and
will therefore have no choice but to
shut up shop.
Implementing
its provisions is expected to
require drafting reams of
regulations, unlikely to be ready
until 2005 at the earliest for
implementation the following year.
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