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Indonesia ratifies UN maritime labor convention
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For better protection -- Manpower Minister Hanif Dhakiri speaks to journalists in Jakarta recently. (Tempo/File)
T
he House of Representatives unanimously approved the ratification of the 2006 International Labor Organization (ILO) convention on maritime labor, which aims to strengthen the protection of Indonesian sailors and ship crewmen, during a plenary meeting on Thursday.
The approval followed up a series of hearings between House Commission IX overseeing labor affairs and several ministries, which included maritime labor experts. In the meetings, all of the stakeholders discussed key points of the convention before they agreed to pass it into law.
"It is expected the ratification can strengthen the legal basis for the government in drafting a national policy to step up the protection, respect and fulfillment of the rights of Indonesian sailors along with human rights principles," Commission IX chairman Dede Yusuf said.
Manpower Minister Hanif Dhakiri praised the ratification of the convention, saying it truly demonstrated Indonesia's commitment to promoting welfare and a better work environment for all sailors and crew members. He added that the ratification also showed the country’s commitment to the implementation of better protection for national vessels when sailing in international waters.
As the House had approved the ratification of the convention, Hanif further said, the government must now enshrine the norms and standards stipulated in the convention as national laws, including provisions to optimize the protection of Indonesian sailors. The ratification, he said, was in line with the government's vision to establish Indonesia as a maritime axis.
The Maritime Labor Convention is an international labor standard adopted during the 94th International Labor Conference in 2006. It renewed 37 previous ILO Conventions on maritime labor. (ebf)
