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THE INTER- NATIONAL

LABOUR CON- FERENCE

NINTH SESSION.

(Previous

Reference: Cabinet 57 (27). Con- clusion 12.)

12. The Cabinet had before them a Memorandum

by the Minister of Labour (Paper C.P.-246 (28))

containing proposals, drawn up in consultation with

the Board of Trade, as to the action to be taken

by the Government in regard to the Draft Conven-

tions and Recommendations adopted by the Inter-

national Labour Conference which was held at Geneva

in June, 1926.

In regard to the Draft Convention concerning Seamen's Articles of Agreement, it was proposed

to inform the International Labour Office of the

objections taken by British shipowners and seamen

to Article 5, which provides that the document to

be issued to every seaman, containing a record of his employment on board the vessel, should not

contain any statement as to the quality of the seaman's work, and stating that His Majesty's

Government would be prepared to ratify the Convention but for this provision, which, in view of the

preference shown by both sides of the industry for the existing system, it was not prepared to

adopt.

In regard to the Draft Convention concerning the Repatriation of Seamen, it was proposed that His Majesty's Government should intimate that it is

prepared to ratify the Draft Convention as soon as

at least six of the other principal Maritime Powers

also are prepared to ratify.

In regard to the Recommendation concerning the Repatriation of Masters and Apprentices, it was proposed to inform the Secretary-General of the

League of Nations that the question of introducing legislation to provide for the only point not

existing legislation, namely, the

covered by

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