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29th Session of the Joint Maritime Commission
Geneva, 22-26 January 2001
 Background
The 29th Session of the Joint Maritime Commission was held at the
ILO, Geneva from 22 to 26 January 2001. The agenda of the session, was
as follows:
- Review of relevant ILO maritime instruments;
- Updating of the ILO's minimum basic wage of able seamen;
- The impact on seafarers' living and working conditions of changes
in the structure of the shipping industry; and
- Joint IMO/ILO ad hoc expert working group on liability and compensation
regarding claims for death, personal injury and abandonment of seafarers.
The JMC also adopted resolutions on other matters.
Composition of the Meeting
The composition of the JMC
is as follows: Chairman of the Governing Body; two Governing Body members
(one Worker, one Employer); twenty regular shipowner members; twenty
regular seafarer members; four deputy shipowner members; and four deputy
seafarer members.
In order to assist the JMC's deliberations, the International Labour
Office prepared reports relating to each agenda item:
- Report 1: Review of relevant
ILO maritime instruments, also available in pdf
format
 .
This report begins with a summary of the examination and decisions
to date of the Governing Body of the ILO concerning the revision of
maritime standards and an examination of the maritime social security
instruments. It then proposes an integrated approach to future standard
setting in the maritime field. It suggests the development of new
instruments to replace the existing body of 30 Conventions and 23
Recommendations. The ground breaking proposal is for one major instrument
which would represent the "bill of rights" for the industry and seek
to ensure progress toward sectoral universality of obligations. This
report also makes a case for an enhanced role for the JMC and for
a tripartite subcommittee with a view to facilitating the updating
of maritime labour standards.
 Report
2: Updating of the ILO's minimum basic
wage of able seamen, also available in pdf
format .
This report describes the methodology of updating of the ILO's recommended
minimum basic wage for an able seaman of US$ 435 as agreed by the
JMC in 1996. It provides calculations
based on sets of assumptions: updated list of countries and areas;
changes in consumer prices; changes in exchange rates; purchasing
power of the US dollar in January 2000 relative to January 1997; and
average change in purchasing power of US$ 435 across selected countries
and areas from 1 January 1997 to 1 January 2000. Consequently, the
median value obtained represents a decrease compared to the recommended
minimum of 1996. This is largely attributable to the current strength
of the US dollar.
- Report 3: The impact on
seafarers' living and working conditions of changes in the structure
of the shipping industry, also available in pdf
format .
This report is divided into four parts. It begins with an examination
of some of the main changes which have occurred in world shipping
and which have influenced the labour market and conditions of work
and life of seafarers. It then examines some aspects of the labour
market for seafarers as well as a number of changes which have had
an impact on conditions of work. Another chapter reviews the current
conditions of work and life in the shipping industry, concerning wages,
hours of work, food, accommodation and welfare as well as certain
issues such as gender and abandonment of seafarers, with particular
emphasis on shipboard conditions. The report concludes with a summary
and a list of suggested points for discussion.
- Report 4: Report of the
IMO/ILO Ad Hoc Expert Working Group on liability and compensation
regarding claims for death, personal injury and abandonment of seafarers,
also available in pdf format ,
and Report 4 bis on the same subject, also
available in pdf format .
These two documents describe the discussion of the IMO/ILO Ad Hoc
Expert Working Group which met twice since it began its work. The
group came to a consensus on both subjects - abandonment and death
and injury - with a two-step approach. The first step would be a resolution
to be adopted as a matter of urgency. The second would be to consider
a more complete international solution to be elaborated with a view
to establishing a system of a mandatory nature where no national schemes
addressing these issues are in place. On both subjects, the Working
Group considered that the option of compulsory insurance or other
form of financial security seemed the most appropriate. A third session
of the group will be held in April 2001.
Final Report
Following the meeting, the ILO published a Final
Report, also available in pdf format
,
including a report of the discussion and the resolutions adopted. The
report and resolutions have been submitted to the Governing Body of
the ILO in Document
GB.280/5
Ms. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry,
Deputy-Director, Sectoral Activities Department,
International Labour Office,
Tel.: (41.22) 799-6503,
Fax: (41.22) 799-7050,
E-mail: doumbia@ilo.org
Mr. Dani Appave,
Senior Maritime Specialist,
Sectoral Activities Department,
International Labour Office,
4 route des Morillons,
CH-1211 GENEVE 22, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 799 7528; Fax: +41 22 799 7050;
e-mail: appave@ilo.org or marit@ilo.org
Mr. Brandt Wagner,
Maritime Specialist,
Tel: +41 22 799.7008; Fax: 799 7050;
e-mail: wagner@ilo.org or marit@ilo.org
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