34 INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION
by the Government itself. The work of such offices is to be
administered by persons with practical maritime experience.
Where offices of different types exist, they are to be co-
ordinated on a national basis.
Committees, representing shipowners and seamen equally,
are to be established to advise on the work of these offices.
Freedom of choice of ship is to be assured to seamen, and
freedom of choice of crew to shipowners.
Guarantees for the protection of all parties concerned are
to be included in the contract of engagement or articles of
agreement, and proper facilities for examining such contracts
or articles before and after signing are to be assured to sea-
men.
Each member country is to see that such facilities for em-
ployment of seamen are available for seamen of all countries
ratifying the Convention, by means of public offices if neces-
sary, provided industrial conditions are generally the same.
[nformation concerning unemployment among seamen
and the work of its seamen’s employment agencies is to be
communicated to the International Labor Organization by
each member nation ratifying the Convention. The Inter-
national Labor Organization is to take steps to secure the co-
ordination of the various employment agencies in agreement
with the governments or organizations concerned in each
ountry.!
Action Taken by Member Nations?
Fifteen nations have registered ratification and among
these are all the principal maritime countries except Great
Britain and the Netherlands. The latter has authorized
ratification by reserving to the crown the right to ratify.
Great Britain decided in 1921 to postpone ratification until
it should be ascertained whether the existing system of em-
ployment exchanges, established jointly by representative
associations of shipowners and seamen, could be developed
in such a way as to conform with the Convention. Ratifi-
cation has been recommended by five nations. four of which
International Labor Conference, Second Session, 1920, pp. 582-584.
* For references to specific countries see footnotes to Table 15, Appendix I.
