At the 91st General Conference Session held in June, the ILO adopted Convention
185: Seafarers' Identity Documents Convention (Revised). This Convention was urgently
added to agendas, in recognition of the fact that requirements for issuing seafarers’
identity documents as defined in the Convention 108: “Seafarers' Identity
Documents Convention, 1958” were out of date and in view of moves to fortify
security and anti-terrorism measures in every country, especially the United States
of America, after the multiple terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. This Convention
was adopted after one session of deliberation, which is exceptional for an agenda
setting out standards.
Convention 108 was listed under the specific industry/ business category in the
“ILO Convention List for Priority Ratification” which was endorsed
at the 11th RENGO Central Executive Committee Meeting held on July 18, 2002.
With the adoption of this new Convention, RENGO asked the All Japan Seamen’s
Union, the affiliate most directly related to the Convention, how best to handle
the Convention RENGO List for Priority Ratification. The Union sent their response
to RENGO that Convention 185 should be relisted anew and that the current Convention
108 should be crossed out off the list.
With that, RENGO relisted the “List for Priority Ratification” as
follows.
Whether or not Convention 185 is ratified will directly influences the Japanese
seafarers’ job problems. Furthermore, there is a consensus on labor’s
side that developed nations, such as the USA and those who pressured other countries
to institute conventions for the fortification of antiterrorism measures, take
the lead in ratifying the Convention. Mindful of this point, Japanese representatives
from government, labor and management worked hard for a “convention which
can be ratified in Japan” during deliberations at the General Conference.
RENGO, along with its related affiliates, will strongly pressure the government
to ratify the Convention.
|
| Convention Number Year Adopted |
Title of Convention |
Ratified
Nations |
Remarks |
| I. Core Labor Standards |
C105
1957 |
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
(High Priority Convention) |
161 |
Seeks to suppress and not to exploit any form of forced or compulsory
labour. |
C111
1958 |
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
(High
Priority Convention) |
159 |
Eliminates any discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex,
religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin, which may affect,
nullify or impair equality of opportunity or treatment in jobs or occupation.
|
| II. Freedom of Association |
C151
1978 |
Labour Relations (Public Service) Convention (Convention concerning protection
of the right to organize and procedures for determining conditions of employment
in the public service) |
41 |
Restore the basic labor rights of public employees, which determine
the right to organize, the participation of labor unions in negotiating conditions
of employment, the settlement of disputes, and political rights in the public
service. |
| III. Condition of Employment |
C47
1935 |
Forty-Hour Week Convention (Reduces work hours to a forty-hour
week) |
14 |
Crucial for full application of a forty-hour work week, since an exception
in Article 32 in the Japanese Labor Standards Law still remains. |
C132
1970 |
Holidays with Pay Convention |
33 |
Seeks no less than three working weeks for one year of service, one of the
parts shall consist of at least two uninterrupted working weeks. It is crucial
for achieving a comfortable living standard. |
C140
1974 |
Paid Educational Leave Convention |
33 |
Paid educational leave for the purpose of training at any level, general,
social and civic education, and trade union education. |
C94
1949 |
Labor Clauses (Public Contracts) Convention |
59 |
Regarding the conditions of labor of employees who are employed by private
businesses when at least one of the parties to the contract is a public authority. |
C158
1982 |
Termination of Employment Convention (Termination of employment
at the initiative of the employer) |
33 |
Protects workers from unjustified termination, enables workers to appeal against
termination to an impartial body, and protects them from having to bear the burden
of proof that termination was unjustified. |
C171
1990 |
Night Work Convention |
8 |
Requires that specific measures shall be taken for night workers in order
to protect their health, and assist them to meet their familial and social responsibilities. |
C173
1992 |
Protection of Workers' Claims (Employer's Insolvency) Convention |
15 |
Clarifies the protection of workers' claims by means of a privilege. |
C175
1994 |
Part-time Work Convention |
10 |
Defines social security schemes and employment conditions for part-time workers
so that they can enjoy conditions equivalent to those of comparable full-time
workers. |
C177
1996 |
Home Work Convention |
4 |
Defines that a member country needs to implement policy on home work aimed
at improving the situation of at-home-workers, as well as promotes equality of
treatment between at-home-workers and other wage earners. |
| IV. Safety and Health |
C155
1981 |
Occupational Safety and Health Convention |
40 |
Necessary to ratify in terms of strengthening measures for safety and health,
as well as in terms of internationalization of standards. |
C148
1977 |
Working Environment (Air Pollution, Noise and Vibration) Convention
|
41 |
Protects workers against occupational hazards in the working environment due
to air pollution, noise and vibrations. |
| V. Social Security |
C128
1967 |
Invalidity, Old-Age and Survivors' Benefits Convention |
16 |
Regarding qualifications for benefits and standards for disabled people, seniors
(over 65 years of age) and surviving family members. |
| VI. Women's Employment |
C183
2000 |
Maternity Protection Convention |
4 |
To further promote protected safeguards in C.103: Maternity Protection Convention
(1952.) |
| VII. Specific Industries/Businesses |
C137
1973 |
Dock Work Convention (Social repercussions of new methods of
cargo handling in docks) |
23 |
Encourages permanent or regular employment. Also it guarantees dockworkers
are assured minimum periods of employment or a minimum income. |
C149
1977 |
Nursing Personnel Convention (Employment and conditions of work
and life of nursing personnel) |
37 |
Defines that member nations shall adopt measures to provide nursing personnel
with education and training as well as to improve employment and working conditions
in order to provide the quantity and quality of nursing care necessary for attaining
the highest possible level of health for the population. |
C153
1979 |
Hours of Work and Rest Periods (Road Transport) Convention |
7 |
Defines adequate standards concerning driving time and rest periods of drivers.
For instance, no driver shall be allowed to drive continuously for more than four
hours without a break. |
C185
2003 |
Seafarers' Identity Documents Convention (Revised) |
0 |
Revise the Seafarers' Identity Documents Convention (C108, 1958) to ensure
facilitation of temporary shore leave and transit and transfer of seafarers, as
well as authenticity of identity documents of seafarers. |
|
| Date Ratified in Japan |
Convention Title (Year Adopted, Convention Number) |
| November 23, 1922 |
Unemployment Convention (1919, C2) |
| November 23, 1922 |
Placing of Seamen Convention (1920, C9) |
| December 19, 1923 |
Minimum Age (Agriculture) Convention (1921, C10) (closed due
to ratification of Convention 138.) |
| June 7, 1924 |
Minimum Age (Sea) Convention (1920, C7) (closed due to ratification
of Convention 138.) |
| June 7, 1924 |
Medical Examination of Young Persons (Sea) Convention (1921,
C16) |
| August 7, 1926 |
Minimum Age (Industry) Convention (1919, C5) (closed due to the
ratification of Convention 138.) |
| October 8, 1928 |
Workmen's Compensation (Occupational Diseases) Convention (1925,
C18) |
| October 8, 1928 |
Equality of Treatment (Accident Compensation) (1925, C19) |
| October 8, 1928 |
Inspection of Emigrants Convention, (1926, C21) |
| December 4, 1930 |
Minimum Age (Trimmers and Stokers) Convention (1921, C15) (closed
due to ratification of Convention 138.) |
| March 16, 1931 |
Marking of Weight (Packages Transported by Vessels) Convention,
(1929, C27) |
| November 21, 1932 |
Forced Labour Convention (1930, C29) |
| June 6, 1936 |
Workmen's Compensation (Occupational Diseases) Convention (Revised)
(1934, C42) (closed due to ratification of Convention 121.) |
| September 8, 1938 |
Recruiting of Indigenous Workers Convention (1936, C50) |
| October 20,1953 |
Labour Inspection Convention (1947, C81) |
| October 20,1953 |
Employment Service Convention (1948, C88) |
| October 20,1953 |
Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention (1949,
C98) |
| May 27, 1954 |
Final Articles Revision Convention (1946, C80) |
| August 22, 1955 |
Unemployment Indemnity (Shipwreck) Convention (1920, C8) |
| August 22, 1955 |
Seamen's Articles of Agreement Convention (1926, C22) |
| August 22, 1955 |
Medical Examination (Seafarers) Convention (1946, C73) |
| August 22, 1955 |
Minimum Age (Sea) Convention (Revised) (1936, C58) (closed due
to the ratification of Convention 138) |
| June 11, 1956 |
Underground Work (Women) Convention (1935, C45) |
| June 11, 1956 |
Fee-Charging Employment Agencies Convention (Revised) (1949,
C96) (closed due to the ratification of Convention 181) |
| June 14, 1965 |
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize
Convention (1948, C87) |
| August 24, 1967 |
Equal Remuneration Convention (1951, C100) |
| April 29, 1971 |
Minimum Wage-Fixing Machinery Convention (1928, C26) |
| April 29, 1971 |
Final Articles Revision Convention (1961, C116) |
| April 29, 1971 |
Minimum Wage Fixing Convention (1970, C131) |
| July 31, 1973 |
Radiation Protection Convention (1960, C115) |
| July 31, 1973 |
Guarding of Machinery Convention (1963, C119) |
| June 7, 1974 |
Employment Injury Benefits Convention (1964, C121) |
| July 29, 1975 |
Certification of Ships' Cooks Convention (1946, C69) |
| February 2, 1976 |
Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention (1952, C102) |
| July 26, 1977 |
Occupational Cancer Convention (1974, C139) |
| July 3, 1978 |
Prevention of Accidents (Seafarers) Convention (1970, C134) |
| May 31, 1983 |
Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards) Convention (1976, C147) |
| June 10, 1986 |
Employment Policy Convention (1964, C122) |
| June 10, 1986 |
Human Resources Development Convention (1975, C142) |
| June 12, 1992 |
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention
(1983, C159) |
| June 21, 1993 |
Hygiene (Commerce and Offices) Convention (1964, C120) |
| June 9, 1995 |
Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention (1981, C156) |
| July 28, 1999 |
Private Employment Agencies Convention (1997, C181) |
| June 5, 2000 |
Minimum Age Convention (1973, C138) |
| June 18, 2001 |
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (1999, C182)** |
| June 14, 2002 |
Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention
(1976, C144)** |
| ** : |
Conventions that were defined as the high priorities in the
2000 “New List of Priority Convention.” |
| Bold: |
These are four principles / eight ILO Conventions, which
are core labor standards defined in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles
and Rights at Work (1998.) |
|
