Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2011, published 101st ILC session (2012)

Sickness Insurance (Sea) Convention, 1936 (No. 56) - Djibouti (Ratification: 1978)

Article 1 of the Convention. Compulsory sickness insurance scheme for seafarers. The Committee notes the Government’s indication in a previous report that, in view of the low number of seafarers registered in the country, the latter were still covered by the general sickness insurance scheme for workers and that a specific sickness insurance scheme for seafarers would be established in due course when there were sufficient numbers of seafarers in the country. The Committee wishes to emphasize that implementation of the Convention does not require the establishment of a sickness insurance scheme specifically for seafarers and that the latter can be affiliated to the general sickness insurance scheme, on condition that the benefits provided thereunder meet the requirements of the Convention. It notes the adoption of Act No. 212/AN/07/5ème L of 19 January 2008 establishing the National Social Security Fund (CNSS), section 3 of which states that the CNSS is responsible for the provision of daily allowances and medical benefits. With reference to its observation of 2008 concerning the application of the Sickness Insurance (Industry) Convention, 1927 (No. 24), by Djibouti, the Committee requests the Government to supply information on the sickness insurance scheme currently in force in the country, particularly the benefits to which insured persons are entitled, possible means of appeal for the insured person in the event of any dispute regarding entitlement to benefits, and the financing of the sickness insurance scheme.

Article 5. Maternity benefit. The Committee requests the Government to supply information on the legal provisions in force regarding maternity protection and, in particular, on the amount and duration of maternity benefit and the persons entitled to such benefit.

Part IV of the report form. Application in practice. The Committee requests the Government to supply information on the application of the Convention in practice, especially statistics for the next reporting period relating to the following points: the total number of seafarers covered by the Convention who are affiliated to the CNSS; the total cost of cash benefits granted to seafarers in the event of incapacity for work and the average amount per insured person; the total cost of death benefit; the total cost of benefits in kind and the average cost of benefits in kind per insured person; the total amount of financial resources of sickness insurance schemes and respective contributions of employers and insured persons to such resources.

Finally, the Committee takes this opportunity to recall that Convention No. 56, together with 36 other international maritime labour Conventions, is revised by the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006), which, in Regulation 4.5, Standard A4.5 and Guideline B4.5, sets out the principles and rules for progressively achieving a comprehensive social security protection for seafarers. The Committee requests the Government to keep the Office informed of any further developments with respect to the process of ratification and effective implementation of the MLC, 2006.