Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2005, published 95th ILC session (2006)

Seafarers' Pensions Convention, 1946 (No. 71) - Lebanon (Ratification: 1993)

The Government indicates in its last report that no seafarers’ pensions scheme exists and that, consequently, the Convention is not applied in practice.

The Committee recalls that, in its last report, the Government indicated that the question of establishing a seafarers’ pensions scheme was discussed at a meeting in which the Society of Lebanese Shipowners and the Federation of Maritime Transport Unions took part. There was agreement regarding the preparation of draft texts regulating the seafarers’ pension scheme, and the drafts were to be discussed at subsequent meetings. The Government also indicated that Convention No. 71 is part of the national legislation by virtue of its ratification and that the need to amend the Maritime Commerce Code is purely a formality, in that the Convention is a legislative text in force which may nevertheless require promulgation of implementing texts or regulations to be given effect. The provisions of the Convention can be inserted in regulations amending the Maritime Commerce Code.

The Committee hopes, as it indicated in its previous report, that the Government will be able to take all the necessary measures in the very near future to supplement the Maritime Commerce Code so as to establish a seafarers’ pensions scheme. The Committee recalls that, to be in conformity with the Convention, the scheme must guarantee payment of a pension for the duration of the contingency to all seafarers who retire from sea service and who fulfil the conditions of entitlement to a pension. It requests the Government to supply a copy of any text adopted in this regard.