CO129-559-18 Employment of certificated officers on vessels holding Hong Kong passenger certificates 19-11-1936 - 19-11-1936 — Page 8

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لا

Merchant Shipping Ordinance of 1899, the existing

provisions of which are considered out of date and

totally inadequate to the requirements of present day local

shipping circumstances. My Committees suggest that the

provision therein defined be modernised by re-drafting

such in line with those not ed by the attached as mutually

agreed upon by shipowners and officers representatives at

Home.

Such progressive response by Government will

introduce a long overdue and much needed measure of reform

which will ensure a greater security for life and property

at sea where the foreign-going shipping of this Colony is

concerned.

I have, etc.,

(SD.) ". . KIRBY,

F.

Secretary.

Page

Page

Copy.

Extract from South China Morning Post, Thursday, October 8, 1936.

१

DECK OFFICERS.

Agreement Reached at The English Conference.

IN MERCHANT VESSELS.

Negotiations between the ship-owners' and officers'

representatives on the Navigating Officers' Panel of the

National Maritime Board with regard to the number of

navigating officers to be carried on British foreign-going

merchant vessels have been completed.

An agreement was reached which will come into force

in the case of ships' articles opened on or after October 1. It requires two certificated navigating officers in addition to the master to be carried on foreign-going vessels exceeding 700 tons gross but not over 2,500 tons gross, and three certificated navigating officers in addition to the master on foreign-going vessels exceeding 2,500 tons gross. It was agreed that there should be further early negotiations in this country with regard to conditions of employment both on vessels covered by the new agreement

and on home trade vessels.

The officers' representatives made it clear that in accepting an agreement which fell short of their own proposals it must be understood that they were keeping themselves free to make whatever proposals they thought desirable at the Geneva Maritime Conference this month. As regards the part of the agreement permitting a minimum of two officers to be carried on certain vessels the officers' representatives stated that they were accepting

this

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