Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2007, published 97th ILC session (2008)

Articles 7, 8 and 9 of the Convention. Professional experience required. The Committee notes that in reply to its previous comment, the Government confirms that the applicable regulations do not lay down any minimum professional experience required for the issue of a mate’s certificate. It also notes that the minimum requirements for experience laid down by joint state/territory Order No. 235 of 9 March 1989 concerning conditions for the exercise of command and officers’ duties on board commercial and fishing vessels in French Polynesia, for skipper’s and engineer’s certificates respectively, are lower than those laid down by the Convention. It notes in this regard that, pursuant to section 5, point I.2, of the above joint order, the professional experience required is 36 months for the maritime fishing skipper’s certificate (subsection (c)) and 24 months for the fishing skipper’s certificate (subsection (e)). With regard to engine-room duties, the Committee notes that the required experience is 24 months of sea service in the engine-room for the 2,944 kW engineer officer’s certificate and 12 months for the 736 kW engineer officer’s (officier motoriste) certificate and for the 220 kW engineer rating’s (motoriste) certificate (section 5, point II(a), (b) and (c)). Finally, the Committee notes the information supplied by the Government according to which a reform of these regulations is planned but necessitates the adoption of a new decree by the French metropolitan authorities. The Committee reiterates that the minimum professional experience required by the legislation must not be less than three years for the mate’s certificate (Article 7 of the Convention), four years for the skipper’s certificate (Article 8) and three years for the engineer’s certificate (Article 9). It hopes that the Government will adopt the necessary measures in the near future to bring its legislation into conformity with the Convention and requests it to keep it informed of all new developments.

Part V of the report form. The Committee notes the statistical information supplied by the Government concerning the fishing fleet and asks it to continue supplying general information on the way in which the Convention is applied in practice, in particular as regards the number of persons covered by the Convention and the number of certificates in different categories issued each year. In addition, the Committee notes the information supplied by the Government according to which any observations from the representative organizations of employers and workers will be sent in the near future, accompanied by a summary record of the tripartite meeting during which this report will be presented. The Committee asks the Government to send a copy of the summary record of this tripartite meeting, and also of any observations made by the employers’ and workers’ organizations.