Artikel Body
A master can legally dismiss an ordinary seafarer employed on board a ship who
cannot, as a consequence of illness or bodily injury, carry out his work on
board a Danish ship for a longer period of time.
What is to be understood by the
term “longer period of time” is to be determined in each individual case.
Normally, the master can base his decision on a doctor’s statement. If, for
example, the doctor declares the seafarer “unfit for duty” for a longer period
of time on a “Medical Report”, it will normally be considered a reason for
dismissal.
Seafarers who are ill or injured at the termination of the service on
board, are entitled to receive sickness pay from the shipowner for as long as
they are unfit for service – however no longer than for 16 weeks from the date
of the unfitness for work.
Company-employed seafarers have the same entitlement to sickness pay though the seafarer concerned is not serving on board at the moment.
Unless otherwise agreed, sickness pay includes the basic pay and any age increment, pension contribution as well as any educational contribution.
However, sickness pay does not include allowances paid for special service or
for especially hard and burdensome work or the like.
