Proposal for ratifying 2 conventions on sailors okayed
Monday, 27 January 2014
The cabinet on Monday approved a proposal for ratification of the ‘Maritime Labour Convention, 2006′ and the ‘Seafarers Identity Documents Convention (Revised), 2003′ seeking to ensure welfare of some 12,000 Bangladeshi seafarers through increase in their facilities.
The approval was given at the regular weekly meeting of the cabinet held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, according to a news agency.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said there are some 12,000 Bangladeshi seafarers who work in local and foreign ships.
He said Bangladeshi seafarers are currently facing various problems like joining foreign ships and staying abroad, getting shore leaves and other discriminations.
Besides, the Cabinet Secretary said, the big foreign shipping agents often show reluctance in recruiting Bangladeshi seafarers.
He informed that some 56 countries affiliated with the ILO have ratified the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 till January 23, 2014.
Musharraf Hossain said congenial atmosphere and welfare, housing facilities, working hours and social safety of the seafarers are related to the above convention.
The convention is applicable to the country of concerned sailors as well as the port states and flag states.
In the Seafarers Identity Documents (SID) Convention (Revised), 2003, there will be basic information of the seafarers through biometric features including fingerprints, bar codes, photographs and machine readable zone.
If a sailor has SID, it would be easier for him or her to get seashore leaves, changing his job to other ships, and returning to his or her own country.
Ministers and state ministers concerned attended the meeting, while relevant secretaries were present.