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

Unemployment Indemnity (Shipwreck) Convention, 1920 (No. 8) - Jersey

Article 2 of the Convention. Unemployment indemnity in case of shipwreck. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the relevance of the Convention continues to be assessed and that, at present, the Registry has very few vessels with permanent contracted seafarers to whom the Convention would be of value. It also notes that the Registry remains restricted by the United Kingdom Merchant Shipping (Categorisation of Registries of Relevant British Possessions) Order, 2003, which does not permit the registration of passenger vessels on international voyages, commercial vessels over 150 gross tons and of pleasure vessels over 400 gross tons. The Committee requests the Government to keep the Office informed of any developments, such as the possible amendment of the Shipping (Jersey) Law 2002 to which reference was made in an earlier report, that might have an impact on the application of the Convention.

Part V of the report form. Application in practice. The Committee notes the statistical information provided by the Government concerning the estimated number of permanent contracted seafarers. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide up-to-date information on the application of the Convention in practice, including, for instance, the number of seafarers covered by the relevant legislation and the number of any maritime casualties involving Jersey-registered vessels and the payment of indemnities to the seafarers concerned.

Finally, the Committee recalls that the main provisions of the Convention are now reflected in Regulation 2.6 and the corresponding Code of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006), which requires the payment of compensation in the event of the ship’s loss or foundering not only for the resulting unemployment but also for injury or death. The Committee considers, therefore, that compliance with Convention No. 8 will facilitate the implementation of the respective provisions of the MLC, 2006.