Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1989, published 76th ILC session (1989)

Sickness Insurance (Sea) Convention, 1936 (No. 56) - Egypt (Ratification: 1982)

The Committee takes note of the information supplied by the Government in its report.

Article 4, paragraph 1, of the Convention. In the comments it made in 1986 and 1988, the Committee requested the Government to indicate whether, when the insured person is abroad and has lost his right to wages, even partially, by reason of sickness, the cash benefit is paid in whole or in part to the family of the insured, and, if only in part, then in what proportion. Since sections 19, 20 and 21 of the Regulations implementing Act No. 50 of 1978 concerning the insurance of Egyptian workers employed abroad, to which the Government refers in its reply, cover only the cases of total invalidity or death and, consequently, do not apply to the case where the insured person is abroad and has lost his right to wages by reason of sickness, the Committee can only ask the Government yet again to provide the information requested.

Article 7. The Committee takes note of the Government's reply to its previous comments. It notes, in particular, that every shipping company establishes an insurance scheme for seafarers in its employment. It also notes the Government's statement that no amendments have been made to the sickness insurance scheme for Egyptian seafarers since its last report. However, it recalls that, under Article 7 of the Convention, "the right to insurance benefit shall continue even in respect of sickness occurring during a definite period after the termination of the last engagement, which period shall be fixed by national laws or regulations in such a way as to cover the normal interval between successive engagements". Accordingly, the Committee can only repeat its request to the Government to indicate in its next report the measures taken or under consideration to ensure that effect is given to this provision of the Convention.