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International Labour Conference: 21st-25th Sessions

The International Labour Conference through time

21st and 22nd - Maritime Conferences - 1936 (October)

The number of states represented at the Twenty-first Session of the Conference was 33. These included Europe, 18; America, 8; Asia, 5; Africa, 1; Oceania, 1. The total number of delegates sent by the 33 States represented was 97, of whom 55 were Government delegates, 20 Employers' delegates, and 22 Workers' delegates. The number of advisers was 137. Thus, in all, 234 persons were nominated to attend the Conference.

Source: Report of the Credentials Committee. 

President

Mr Paal Berg, Government Delegate of Norway

Vice-presidents

Hon. N. Mc L. Rogers, Government Delegate and Minister of Labour of Canada. / Mr East,  Australian Government delegate

Mr Garrett, British Employers' delegate

Mr Tomás Taengua,  Spanish Workers' delegate. / Mr Ehlers,  French Workers' Delegate

Source: Minutes of the First Sitting.

I. A. Regulation of hours of work on board ship;

B. Manning in conjunction with hours of work on board ship;

II. Protection of seamen in case of sickness (including the treatment of seamen injured on board ship);

(a) The individual liability of the shipowner towards sick or injured seamen;

(b) Sickness insurance for seamen;

III. Promotion of seamen's welfare in ports;

IV. Establishment by each maritime country of a minimum requirement of professional capacity in the case of captains, navigating and engineer officers in charge of watches on board merchant ships;

V. Holidays with pay for seamen.

The Twenty-first Session of the International Labour Conference held eleven plenary sittings, and the following two Recommendations and five Draft Conventions were adopted:

The number of states represented at the Twenty-second Session of the Conference was 33. These included Europe, 18; America, 8; Asia, 5; Africa, 1; Oceania, 1. They included 54 Government Delegates, 20 Employers' Delegates, and 22 Workers' Delegates — a total of 96 delegates. Besides 47 Government advisers, 19 Employers' advisers and 27 Workers' advisers, a total of 93 advisers. In all, 189 persons were accredited to the Conference.

Source: Report of the Credentials Committee. 

 

President

Mr Paal Berg, Government Delegate of Norway 

Vice-presidents 

Mr East, Australian Government delegate 

Mr Garrett, British Employers' delegate

Mr Ehlers, French Workers' delegate

Source: Minutes of the First Sitting.

I. Partial revision of the Minimum Age (Sea) Convention, 1920.

The Twenty-second Session of the International Labour Conference held three plenary sittings, and the following Draft Convention was adopted:

  • Convention (No. 58) fixing the Minimum Age for the Admission of Children to Employment at Sea (Revised 1936).

23rd Session - 1937 (3-23 June)

The number of States represented was 53. The total number of delegates sent represented 175, including 101 Government delegates, 38 employers' delegates, and 36 workers' delegates. The number of advisers, including those appointed during the course of the Conference, was 256, of whom 99 were Government advisers, 73 employers' advisers, and 84 workers' advisers. There were 23 women included in the delegations, either as delegates or as advisers. In all, 431 persons were accredited to the Conference.

Source: Report of the Credentials Committee. 

President

Mr Sean Lemass, the Minister for Industry and Commerce of the Irish Free State

Vice-presidents

Mr Garcia Oldini, Chilean Government delegate

Mr Goldie, Canadian employers' delegate

Mr Krekitch, Yugoslav workers' delegate

Source: Minutes of the First Sitting.

I. Safety provisions for workers in building construction with reference to scaffolding and hoisting machinery;

II. Reduction of hours of work in the textile industry;

III. The planning of public works in relation to employment;

IV. Reduction of hours of work in the printing and kindred trades;

V. Reduction of hours of work in the chemical industry;

VI. Partial revision of the Minimum Age (Industry) Convention, 1919 (No. 5);

VII. Partial revision of the Minimum Age (Non-industrial Employment) Convention, 1932 (No. 33).

The Twenty-Third Session of the International Labour Conference held twenty-one plenary sittings, and adopted three Recommendations and two Draft Conventions:

24th Session - 1938 (2-22 June)

The number of States represented was 50. The total number of delegates was 157, including 90 Government delegates, 34 Employers' delegates, and 33 Workers' delegates. The number of advisers, including those appointed in the course of the Conference, was 259, including 122 Government advisers, 60 Employers' advisers, and 77 Workers' advisers. In all, 416 persons were accredited to the Conference.

Source: Report of the Credentials Committee. 

President 

Mr Waldemar Falcão, Minister of Industry, Labour, and Commerce of Brazil

Vice-presidents

Mr Aalberse, Government delegate of the Netherlands

Mr Knob, Employers' delegate of Hungary

Mr Hallsworth, Workers' delegate of British Empire.

Source: Minutes of the First Sitting.

I. Technical and vocational education and apprenticeship;

II. Regulation of contracts of employment of indigenous workers;

III. Recruiting, placing and conditions of labour (equality of treatment) of migrant workers;

IV. Regulation of hours of work and rest periods of professional drivers (and their assistants) of vehicles engaged in road transport;

V. Generalisation of the reduction of hours of work;

VI. Statistics of hours and wages in the principal mining and manufacturing industries, including building and construction, and in agriculture. 

The Twenty-Fourth Session of the International Labour Conference held eighteen plenary sittings, and adopted the following draft convention:

  • Convention (No. 63) concerning statistics of wages and hours of work in the principal mining and manufacturing industries, including building and construction, and in agriculture

25th Session - 1939 (8-28 June)

There were 46 States represented. The total number of delegates was 154, including 86 Government delegates, 34 employers' delegates, and 34 workers' delegates. Including those appointed during the course of the Conference, the number of advisers was 199, of whom 97 were attached to Government delegates, 48 to employers' delegates, and 54 to workers' delegates. In all, 353 persons were accredited to the Conference. 

Source: Report of the Credentials Committee.

 

President

Mr Edmond Schulthess, Government delegate of Switzerland

Vice-presidents

Mr Langstone, Government delegate of New Zealand

Mr Harriman, Employers' delegate of the United States of America

Mr Jouhaux, Workers' delegate of France. 

Source: Minutes of the First Sitting.

I. Technical and vocational education and apprenticeship;

II. Regulation of contracts of employment of indigenous workers;

III. Recruiting, placing and conditions of labour (equality of treatment) of migrant workers;

IV. Regulation of hours of work and rest periods of professional drivers (and their assistants) of vehicles engaged in road transport;

V. Generalisation of the reduction of hours of work in industry, commerce and offices;

VI. Reduction of hours of work in coal mines.

The Twenty-Fifth Session of the International Labour Conference held eighteen plenary sittings, and adopted ten Recommendations and four Draft Conventions: