Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2013, published 103rd ILC session (2014)

Marking of Weight (Packages Transported by Vessels) Convention, 1929 (No. 27) - Japan (Ratification: 1931)

Article 1 of the Convention and Part V of the report form. Marking of weight and application of the Convention in practice. The Committee notes the Government’s report submitted in October 2012 including, in annex, observations submitted by the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (JTUC–RENGO) dated 17 August 2012. JTUC–RENGO considers that the mandatory weighing system, which required a third party organization to issue a certificate of weight, is no longer applied, making self-reporting of cargo weight by consignors standard practice. The Committee notes the concerns raised by JTUC–RENGO in relation to the increased risk of accidents where the weight of cargo is unmarked or marked incorrectly.

The Committee also notes the information in the Government’s report that efforts have been made in facilitating industrial accident prevention by promoting industrial accident prevention measures. According to the Government, these measures take into account the actual circumstances of the respective business types at workplaces with high accident rates through legal actions based on the Industrial Safety and Health Act and guidance in port inspections – implemented in accordance with the 11th Industrial Accident Prevention Plan (2008–12), based on the provision of article 6 of the said Act. Referring to paragraph 4 of Article 1 of the Convention, the Committee asks the Government to specify who is required to mark the weight of the cargo, according to the relevant and applicable national legislation. It also asks the Government to continue to provide any relevant information concerning the application of the Convention and on measures taken to prevent occupational accidents, in relation to the concerns raised by JTUC–RENGO.