Section 155: Settlement of wages

155. Settlement of wages.—(1) Where a seaman is discharged and the settlement of his wages completed before a Shipping Master, he shall sign in the presence of the Shipping Master a release in a form sanctioned by the Federal Government of all claims in respect of the past voyage or engagement, and the release shall also be signed by the master or owner of the ship and attested by the Shipping Master. (2) The release so signed and attested shall be retained by the Shipping Master and shall operate as a mutual discharge and settlement of all demands between the parties thereto in respect of the past voyage or engagement. (3) A copy of the release, certified under the hand of the Shipping Master to be a true copy, shall, on payment of the prescribed fee, be given by him to any party thereto requiring the same, and such copy shall be receivable in evidence upon any future question touching such claims, and shall have all the effect of the original of which it purports to be a copy. (4) Where the settlement of a seaman's wages is by this Ordinance required to be completed through or in the presence of, a Shipping Master, no payment, receipt or settlement made otherwise than in accordance with this Ordinance shall operate or be admitted as evidence of the release or satisfaction of any claim. (5) Upon any payment being made by a master before a Shipping Master, the Shipping Master shall, if required, sign and give to the master a statement of the whole amount so paid, and this statement shall, as between the master and his employer, be admissible as evidence that the master has made the payments therein mentioned. (6) Notwithstanding anything contained in the preceding sub-sections a seaman may except from the release signed by him, any specified claim or demand against the master or owner of the ship, and a note of any claim or demand so excepted shall be entered upon the release; and the release shall not operate as a discharge and settlement of any claim or demand so noted, nor shall sub-section (4) apply to any payment, receipt or settlement made with respect to any such claim or demand.

Effective date: 2001-01-01

Related sections