C068 - Food and Catering (Ships' Crews) Convention, 1946 (No. 68)

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Article 1

1. 1. Every Member of the International Labour Organisation for which this Convention is in force is responsible for the promotion of a proper standard of food supply and catering service for the crews of its sea-going vessels, whether publicly or privately owned, which are engaged in the transport of cargo or passengers for the purpose of trade and registered in a territory for which this Convention is in force.
2. 2. National laws or regulations or, in the absence of such laws or regulations, collective agreements between employers and workers, shall determine the vessels or classes of vessels which are to be regarded as sea-going vessels for the purpose of this Convention.

Article 2

The following functions shall be discharged by the competent authority, except in so far as these functions are adequately discharged in virtue of collective agreements:

• (a) the framing and enforcement of regulations concerning food and water supplies, catering, and the construction, location, ventilation, heating, lighting, water system and equipment of galleys and other catering department spaces on board ship, including store rooms and refrigerated chambers;
• (b) the inspection of food and water supplies and of the accommodation, arrangements and equipment on board ship for the storage, handling and preparation of food;
• (c) the certification of such members of the catering department staff as are required to possess prescribed qualifications;
• (d) research into, and educational and propaganda work concerning, methods of ensuring proper food supply and catering service.

Article 3

1. 1. The competent authority shall work in close co-operation with the organisations of shipowners and seafarers and with national or local authorities concerned with questions of food and health, and may where necessary utilise the services of such authorities.
2. 2. The activities of the various authorities shall be duly co-ordinated so as to avoid overlapping or uncertainty of jurisdiction.

Article 4

The competent authority shall have a permanent staff of qualified persons, including inspectors.

Article 5

1. 1. Each Member shall maintain in force laws or regulations concerning food supply and catering arrangements designed to secure the health and well-being of the crews of the vessels mentioned in Article 1.
2. 2. These laws or regulations shall require--
   • (a) the provision of food and water supplies which, having regard to the size of the crew and the duration and nature of the voyage, are suitable in respect of quantity, nutritive value, quality and variety;
   • (b) the arrangement and equipment of the catering department in every vessel in such a manner as to permit of the service of proper meals to the members of the crew.

Article 6

National laws or regulations shall provide for a system of inspection by the competent authority of--

• (a) supplies of food and water;
• (b) all spaces and equipment used for the storage and handling of food and water;
• (c) galley and other equipment for the preparation and service of meals; and
• (d) the qualification of such members of the catering department of the crew as are required by such laws or regulations to possess prescribed qualifications.

Article 7

1. 1. National laws or regulations or, in the absence of such laws or regulations, collective agreements between employers and workers shall provide for inspection at sea at prescribed intervals by the master, or an officer specially deputed for the purpose by him, together with a responsible member of the catering department of--
   • (a) supplies of food and water;
   • (b) all spaces and equipment used for the storage and handling of food and water, and galley and other equipment for the preparation and service of meals.
2. 2. The results of each such inspection shall be recorded.

Article 8

A special inspection shall be made by the representatives of the competent authority of the territory of registration on written complaint made by a number or proportion of the crew prescribed by national laws or regulations or on behalf of a recognised organisation of shipowners or seafarers. In order to avoid delay in sailing, such complaints should be submitted as soon as possible and at least twenty-four hours before the scheduled time of departure from port.

Article 9

1. 1. Inspectors shall have authority to make recommendations to the owner of a ship, or to the master or other person responsible, with a view to the improvement of the standard of catering.
2. 2. National laws or regulations shall prescribe penalties for--
   • (a) failure by an owner, master, member of the crew, or other person responsible to comply with the requirements of the national laws or regulations in force; and
   • (b) any attempt to obstruct an inspector in the discharge of his duties.
3. 3. Inspectors shall submit regularly to the competent authority reports framed on uniform lines dealing with their work and its results.

Article 10

1. 1. The competent authority shall prepare an annual report.
2. 2. The annual report shall be issued as soon as practicable after the end of the year to which it relates and shall be made readily available to all bodies and persons concerned.
3. 3. Copies of the annual report shall be transmitted to the International Labour Office.

Article 11

1. 1. Courses of training for employment in the catering department of sea-going ships shall be organised either in approved schools or by means of other arrangements acceptable to both shipowners' and seafarers' organisations.
2. 2. Facilities shall be provided for refresher courses to enable persons already trained to bring their knowledge and skill up to date.

Article 12

1. 1. The competent authority shall collect up-to-date information on nutrition and on methods of purchasing, storing, preserving, cooking and serving food, with special reference to the requirements of catering on board ship.
2. 2. This information shall be made available, free of charge or at reasonable cost, to manufacturers of and traders in ships' food supplies and equipment, ships' masters, stewards and cooks, and shipowners and seafarers and their organisations generally; appropriate forms of publicity, such as manuals, brochures, posters, charts or advertisements in trade journals, shall be used for this purpose.
3. 3. The competent authority shall issue recommendations to avoid wastage of food, facilitate the maintenance of a proper standard of cleanliness, and ensure the maximum practicable convenience in working.

Article 13

Any of the functions of the competent authority in respect of the certification of catering department staff and the collection and distribution of information may be discharged by delegating the work, or part of it, to a central organisation or authority exercising similar functions in respect of seafarers generally.

Article 14

The formal ratifications of this Convention shall be communicated to the Director-General of the International Labour Office for registration.

Article 15

1. 1. This Convention shall be binding only upon those Members of the International Labour Organisation whose ratifications have been registered with the Director-General.
2. 2. It shall come into force six months after the date on which there have been registered ratifications by nine of the following countries: United States of America, Argentine Republic, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Finland, France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Turkey and Yugoslavia, including at least five countries each of which has at least one million gross register tons of shipping. This provision is included for the purpose of facilitating and encouraging early ratification of the Convention by Member States.
3. 3. Thereafter, this Convention shall come into force for any Member six months after the date on which its ratification has been registered.

Article 16

1. 1. A Member which has ratified this Convention may denounce it after the expiration of ten years from the date on which the Convention first comes into force, by an act communicated to the Director-General of the International Labour Office for registration. Such denunciation shall not take effect until one year after the date on which it is registered.
2. 2. Each Member which has ratified this Convention and which does not, within the year following the expiration of the period of ten years mentioned in the preceding paragraph, exercise the right of denunciation provided for in this Article, will be bound for another period of ten years and, thereafter, may denounce this Convention at the expiration of each period of ten years under the terms provided for in this Article.

Article 17

1. 1. The Director-General of the International Labour Office shall notify the all Members of the International Labour Organisation of the registration of all ratifications and denunciations communicated to him by the Members of the Organisation.
2. 2. When notifying the Members of the Organisation of the registration of the last ratification required to bring the Convention into force, the Director-General shall draw the attention of the Members of the Organisation to the date upon which the Convention will come into force.

Article 18

The Director-General of the International Labour Office shall communicate to the Secretary-General of the United Nations for registration in accordance with Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations full particulars of all ratifications and acts of denunciation registered by him in accordance with the provisions of the preceding Articles.

Article 19

At such times as it may consider necessary the Governing Body of the International Labour Office shall present to the General Conference a report on the working of this Convention and shall examine the desirability of placing on the agenda of the Conference the question of its revision in whole or in part.

Article 20

1. 1. Should the Conference adopt a new Convention revising this Convention in whole or in part, then, unless the new Convention otherwise provides:
   • (a) the ratification by a Member of the new revising Convention shall ipso jure involve the immediate denunciation of this Convention, notwithstanding the provisions of Article 16 above, if and when the new revising Convention shall have come into force;
   • (b) as from the date when the new revising Convention comes into force this Convention shall cease to be open to ratification by the Members.
2. 2. This Convention shall in any case remain in force in its actual form and content for those Members which have ratified it but have not ratified the revising Convention.

Article 21

The English and French versions of the text of this Convention are equally authoritative.