Employment of seamen
38.—(1) No person other than an employer may engage a seaman.
(2) An employer must not engage a seaman and a seaman must not accept employment on board any vessel except in accordance with regulations made under section 40.
(3) An employer must not enter into arrangements with any seaman to transport the seaman outside Singapore for the purpose of engagement in contravention of regulations made under section 40.
(4) For the purpose of this Part, “employer” includes the shipowner, charterer or operator, the agent of the shipowner, charterer or operator and the master of the vessel.
Penalty for employment of seamen in contravention of section 38 or of regulations made under section 40
39.—(1) Any person or employer who —(a)
contravenes section 38; or
(b)
selects or engages a seaman otherwise than in accordance with regulations made under section 40,
shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
(2) Any person or seaman who accepts employment or works in a vessel as a seaman otherwise than in accordance with regulations made under section 40 shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
Regulations relating to seamen
40. The Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations for the purposes of this Part and, in particular, may make regulations for the following purposes:(a)
to prescribe the age and other qualifications of applicants for registration as seamen;
(b)
to prescribe the manner in which seamen may apply or be required to register;
(c)
to make provisions for the medical examination of applicants for registration as seamen;
(d)
to prescribe the procedures for dealing with the discipline of seamen;
(e)
to prescribe the fee to be paid upon the issue of registration cards, and the fee for replacement of such cards when lost, destroyed or otherwise rendered unserviceable;
(f)
to prescribe the conditions under which the Authority may cancel, suspend or alter the registration of seamen; and
(g)
to prescribe the fee to be paid on selection in respect of seamen selected in accordance with the provisions of this Part.
