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

Certification of Ships' Cooks Convention, 1946 (No. 69) - Türkiye (Ratification: 2005)

Article 4(2)(b) of the Convention. Minimum period of service at sea. The Committee notes that, under the terms of section 10(e)(2) of the Regulations on Seafarers of 31 July 2002, a certificate of qualification as ship’s cook is issued when the candidate has served as cook for six months. However, this provision does not state whether such service must be performed at sea. The Committee therefore requests the Government to clarify whether the minimum period of service of six months must be performed at sea, in accordance with this Article of the Convention.

Article 4(2)(c), (3) and (4). Examinations and certificates of qualification. With reference to its previous comment, the Committee notes that the Government’s reply contains general information concerning the inspection of ships with regard to lifesaving, fire protection and on-board equipment. However, the Committee draws the Government’s attention to the fact that its previous request was concerned with matters relating to the specific nature of the examinations (including the practical tests) which have to be taken in order to obtain a certificate as ship’s cook. The Committee wishes to know in particular whether, upon completion of the training provided by vocational colleges, specific examinations are held in order to obtain a certificate as ship’s cook and especially: (i) the authority or authorities which organize and issue this certificate; and (ii) the nature of the examinations (including the practical tests) which have to be taken. The Committee requests the Government to supply specific details on the application of the Article of the Convention in its next report.

Article 6. Recognition of certificates. The Committee notes that the Government’s report says nothing on this matter. It therefore again requests the Government to clarify whether section 54 of the Regulations on Seafarers, which provides that, in order to be recognized, certificates issued by foreign authorities to Turkish nationals and foreigners must be compatible with rule 1/10 and section A-1/10 of the Code of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, as amended, also applies to ships’ cooks and, if not, whether any similar provisions exist for the recognition of certificates for ships’ cooks issued in other territories.

Part V of the report form. Application in practice. The Committee requests the Government to provide a general description of the manner in which the Convention is applied in practice, including, for example, information on the manner in which the Under-Secretariat of Maritime Affairs supervises the application of the legal provisions concerning the certificate of qualification that must be obtained by ships’ cooks, including inspection reports and information on the number of infringements recorded, the remedial action taken, extracts from inspection reports and statistics, if available, relating to the number of certificates issued.

Finally, the Committee wishes to draw the Government’s attention to the fact that the minimum standards concerning training and qualifications for ships’ cooks have been incorporated into Regulation 3.2(3), Standard A3.2(3), (4), (6) and (8), and Guideline B3.2.2 of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006), which revises Convention No. 69 as well as 36 other international maritime labour conventions. The Committee therefore encourages the Government to implement Convention No. 69 in such a way as to ensure the application of the corresponding provisions of the MLC, 2006, once the latter has been ratified and enters into force. The Committee requests the Government to keep the Office informed of any progress made in this matter.