Observation (CEACR) - adoptée 2001, publiée 90ème session CIT (2002)

For many years the Committee has pointed out that section 2(b) of the Social Insurance Act (No. 79, 1975) - one of the pieces of legislation ensuring implementation of the Convention - subjects equal treatment for foreign workers to two requirements, namely the holding of a contract of at least one year and the conclusion of a reciprocity agreement, which is contrary to the provisions of Article 11 of the Convention. In its last report, the Government states that the Ministry of Social Insurance, which is currently revising the Social Insurance Act, will take due account of the Committee’s comments on the abovementioned section of the Act. The Committee takes due note of this information. It trusts that the amendments envisaged will take effect very shortly and will ensure, in law and in practice, that the provisions of the Convention are applied to foreign seafarers whatever the length of their contract and whether or not a reciprocity agreement has been concluded. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide a text of the amended law as soon as the amendments are effected.