Marking of Weight (Packages Transported by Vessels) Convention, 1929 (No. 27) - Czechia (Ratification: 1993)

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2012, published 102nd ILC session (2013)

The Committee notes the information provided by the Government that the Convention is applied through Act No. 266/1994 Coll. on Railways (as amended); Government Regulation No. 1/2000 Coll. on Transport Rules for Public Railway Cargo Transport; and CSN EN ISO 780 – Packaging – Pictorial Marking for Handling of Goods. The Committee also notes the information that section 5(2)(f) of the Regulations provides that the weight of the content of the consignment carried shall be included in the consignment note, and that this rule applies to cargo transport where road transport or waterway transport is used in addition to railway transport during a single trip. The Committee notes that Act No. 266/1994 has not been made available to the Committee to determine if it contains any provisions relevant for the application of this Convention; that the referenced provision in the Regulations refers to annotations made in consignment notes, not on the package or object themselves as required by the Convention; and that it is unclear whether the referenced ISO standard is legally binding in the Czech Republic. The Committee requests the Government to provide further information on relevant legislation ensuring the application of the Convention and to provide copies of this legislation in one of the working languages of the ILO.

The Committee also notes that in response to its general observation 2007, the Government indicates that container transport is fully automated in the country, with a variety of lifting equipment used in the handling of containers; that many of those pieces of equipment have special overload limiters in place which prevent the unintentional handling of a package heavier than the authorized weight; and that since the transitional phase in the 1970s when the equipment was introduced, there have been no problems related to their use. The Committee also notes the information that the Czech Republic has adopted as national standards, international standards relevant for work with freight containers including: ISO 6346 Freight Containers – Coding, Identification and Marking; ISO 3874, Series 1, Freight Containers – Handling and Securing; ISO 668, Series 1, Freight Containers – Classification, Dimensions and Ratings; and ISO 10374, Freight Containers – Automatic Identification. The Committee also notes the information that in addition to the required markings, freight containers are accompanied by transport documents (including the exact information on the goods and their actual weight as well as the container’s tare weight) also in computer form; that this information is remotely transmitted from central terminals straight to port terminals; that it is used for booking a place on a vessel; and that information about the particular shipping weight is used for loading and balancing the vessel. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide any pertinent information in this respect.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2007, published 97th ILC session (2008)

1. The Committee notes the information sent in the Government’s report, particularly the adoption of standards CSN EN ISO 780 on packaging and marking, Decree No. 266/1994 on railways and Decree No. 266/1995, which repealed, respectively, standard CSN 770051, Decree No. 72/1994 and Decree No. 9/1984. The Committee requests the Government to provide a copy of the new legislation, if possible translated into one of the working languages of the ILO, to allow it to carry out a more detailed analysis of the application of the Convention in the country.

2. With regard to the question of possible difficulties encountered in the application of the Convention in relation to modern methods of cargo handling, with particular reference to containers, the Committee requests the Government to refer to the general observation that it is making on the Convention at the present session.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2000, published 89th ILC session (2001)

The Committee notes the Government’s declaration to the effect that the Notification of the Federal Ministry of Transport No. 38/1990, which provided for certain conditions to ensure safe and smooth operation of lifting devices for manipulation of ISO type containers, was repealed by Act No. 266/1994 concerning railways.

With regard to the legislation applying the provisions of the Convention, the Government, however, indicates that no significant changes have taken place since the submission of its last report on the application of the Convention. The Government indicates that the obligation to mark the gross weight of packages and objects is regulated by CSN 770051 - Marking of packages. However, the Government indicated in its last report that Decrees Nos. 9 and 72 of 1984 would apply the provisions of the Convention. In this respect, the Committee notes that the reference to Decrees Nos. 9 and 72 of 1984 is to legislation from the former Czechoslovakia, and it requests the Government of the Czech Republic to confirm in its next report that these texts have not been modified and thus remain in force. It further asks the Government to supply, with its next report, a copy of Regulation CSN 770051 as well as of Act No. 266/1994.