Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2021, published 110th ILC session (2022)

Seamen's Articles of Agreement Convention, 1926 (No. 22) - Jersey

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee notes with  deep concern  the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the protection of seafarers’ rights as laid out in the Conventions.  In this regard, the Committee refers to the resolution adopted by the Governing Body in its 340th Session (GB.340/Resolution) concerning maritime labour issues and COVID-19 disease, which calls on Member States to take measures to address the adverse impacts of the pandemic on seafarers’ rights and requests the Government to provide information in its next report on any temporary measures adopted in this regard, their duration and their impact on seafarers’ rights.

Article 1 of the Convention. Scope of application. In its previous comments, noting that, pending the drafting of legislation to ensure compliance with the Convention, shipowners are encouraged to comply with the United Kingdom’s Merchant Shipping (Crew Agreements, Lists of Crew and Discharge of Seamen) Regulations and the associated Marine Guidance Notes, the Committee requested the Government to indicate the measures taken to implement the provisions of the Convention and to transmit copies of any relevant legislative or regulatory texts as soon as they were adopted. The Committee notes the Government’s indication in its report that no further legislation has been developed since the last examination to give effect to the provision of the Convention. The Committee accordingly reiterates its previous request.

The Committee recalls that, in the framework of the Standards Review Mechanism, the ILO Governing Body, as recommended by the Special Tripartite Committee on the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended (MLC, 2006), classified all the Conventions revised by the MLC, 2006 and the Seafarers’ Identity Document Convention (No. 108) as “outdated”. At its 343rd Session (November 2021), the Governing Body placed an item on the agenda of the 118th Session (2030) of the International Labour Conference concerning the abrogation of Conventions Nos. 22, 56, and 69 and requested the Office to launch an initiative to promote the ratification on a priority basis of the MLC, 2006 among the countries still bound by outdated Conventions, as well as to promote the ratification of the Seafarers' Identity Documents Convention (Revised), 2003, as amended (No. 185) among the countries still bound by Convention No. 108. In this regard, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on any progress made towards extending the application of the MLC, 2006 and Convention No. 185 to Jersey.