Demande directe (CEACR) - adoptée 1993, publiée 80ème session CIT (1993)

The Committee notes the Government's report.

1. Prison labour. The Committee previously noted that the Prisons Act, 1890, was no longer in force. It requests the Government to supply with its next report a copy of the 1985 Prisons Act.

2. Forcible return on board ship. In earlier comments, the Committee referred to section 150 of the Shipping Act, 1981, under which deserting seamen may be forcibly returned on board ship. The Committee noted the Government's view that the provisions of the Shipping Act dealing with desertion did not in themselves create a forced labour situation.

As the Committee pointed out in paragraph 110 of its 1979 General Survey on the Abolition of Forced Labour, forced or compulsory labour as a means of labour discipline may consist of measures to ensure the due performance by a worker of his service in the form of physical constraints. The forcible return of a deserting seaman on board ship at the request of the master of the vessel falls within this category.

The Committee notes the Government's statement in its report that as part of a wider exercise to amend the Shipping Act, consideration is being actively given to repealing section 150 of the Shipping Act.

The Committee hopes that the Government will provide information on any progress made.

As regards section 145(1)(b), (c) and (e) and 146(a) and (b) of the Shipping Act, 1981, the Committee again defers further comments pending examination of the prisons legislation (see point 1 above).