6. Objects of Board
Feedback & supportThe objects of the Board shall be —
to develop, promote and regulate employment among members of the mercantile marine;
to inaugurate, provide, promote and administer training schemes for members of the mercantile marine;
to promote the welfare of members of the mercantile marine and to administer such schemes and welfare assistance for such members as the Board may consider necessary;
to establish and maintain accommodation and recreational facilities for members of the mercantile marine as the Board may consider necessary or expedient;
to license persons to keep or manage seamen’s lodging-houses;
seamen
“seamen” means any person normally engaged on ship’s articles on any vessel going beyond the limits of any port, or place declared to be a port, from time to time by the Minister under section 3 of the Port of Singapore Authority Act, except —(a)masters, mates, engineers, radio officers, pursers, cadets, chinchews, compradores, or any member of the chinchew or compradore staff, laundrymen and stevedores;(b)probationer deckhands, probationer engineroom hands, and probationer catering hands under any training scheme approved by the Minister; and(c)any other person employed on board the vessel who is engaged in duties which are not normally the duties of seamen.
to administer such funds as may be received by the Board for the promotion of the welfare of members of the mercantile marine;
to advise the Minister on matters relating to seafaring and such other related matters as the Minister may refer to the Board for advice;
to supervise the method of supply and selection of seamen and to provide that the employer shall have reasonable freedom of choice in the selection of his crew and the seamen shall have reasonable freedom of choice in the selection of their employer and ship;
employer
“employer” includes the shipowner, charterer or operator, the agent of the shipowner, charterer or operator, the master of the ship and the consular officer of a country represented in Singapore who has received permission in writing from the Board to engage seamen, individually or severally, as the case may be;
to establish and maintain such register or registers in which shall be registered such categories of seamen in such numbers as the Board considers necessary, and may require seamen belonging to such categories to register themselves;
to establish and maintain a roster or rosters of such seamen on the register as the Board considers necessary;
to establish such procedures for the engagement of seamen by employers as the Board considers necessary; and
to require, if the Board considers necessary, every employer to submit returns in such form and manner as the Board may direct, of seamen engaged under the provisions of this Act.