The General Conference of the International Labour Organisation,
Having been convened at Geneva by the Governing Body of the International Labour Office, and having met in its Third Session on 25 October 1921, and
Having decided upon the adoption of certain proposals with regard to the prohibition of the employment of any person under the age of eighteen years as trimmer or stoker, which is included in the eighth item of the agenda of the Session, and
Having determined that these proposals shall take the form of an international Convention, adopts the following Convention, which may be cited as the Minimum Age (Trimmers and Stokers) Convention, 1921, for ratification by the Members of the International Labour Organisation in
accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the International Labour Organisation:

Article 1
For the purpose of this Convention, the term [vessel] includes all ships and boats, of any nature whatsoever, engaged in maritime navigation, whether publicly or privately owned; it excludes ships of war.

Article 2
Young persons under the age of eighteen years shall not be employed or work on vessels as trimmers or stokers.

Article 3
The provisions of Article 2 shall not apply:
(a) to work done by young persons on school-ships or training-ships, provided that such work is approved and supervised by public authority;
(b) to the employment of young persons on vessels mainly propelled by other means than steam;
(c) to young persons of not less than sixteen years of age, who, if found physically fit after medical examination, may be employed as trimmers or stokers on vessels exclusively engaged in the coastal trade of India and of Japan, subject to regulations made after consultation with the most representative organisations of employers and workers in those countries.

Article 4
When a trimmer or stoker is required in a port where young persons of less than eighteen years of age only are available, such young persons may be employed and in that case it shall be necessary to engage two young persons in place of the trimmer or stoker required. Such young persons shall be at least sixteen years of age.

Article 5
In order to facilitate the enforcement of the provisions of this Convention, every shipmaster shall be required to keep a register of all persons under the age of eighteen years employed on board his vessel, or a list of them in the articles of agreement, and of the dates of their births.

Article 6
Articles of agreement shall contain a brief summary of the provisions of this Convention.

Article 7
The formal ratifications of this Convention, under the conditions set forth in the Constitution of the International Labour Organisation, shall be communicated to the Director-General of the International Labour Office for registration.

Article 8
1.This Convention shall come into force at the date on which the ratifications of two Members of the International Labour Organisation have been registered by the Director-General.
2.It shall be binding only upon those Members whose ratifications have been registered with the International Labour Office.
3.Thereafter, the Convention shall come into force for any member at the date on which its ratification has been registered with the International Labour Office.

Article 9
As soon as the ratifications of two Members of the International Labour Organisation have been registered with the International Labour Office, the Director-General of the International Labour Office shall so notify all the Members of the International Labour Organisation. He shall likewise notify them of the registration of the ratifications which may be communicated subsequently by other Members of the Organisation.

Article 10
Subject to the provisions of Article 8, each Member which ratifies this Convention agrees to bring the provisions of Articles 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 into operation not later than 1 January 1924 and to take such action as may be necessary to make these provisions effective.

Article 11
Each Member of the International Labour Organisation which ratifies this Convention engages to apply it to its colonies, possessions and protectorates, in accordance with the provisions of Article 35 of the Constitution of the International Labour Organisation.

Article 12
A Member which has ratified this Convention may denounce it after the expiration of ten years from the date on which the Convention first comes into force, by an act communicated to the Director-General of the International Labour Office for registration. Such denunciation shall not take effect until one year after the date on which it is registered with the International Labour Office.

Article 13
At least once in ten years, the Governing Body of the International Labour Office shall present to the General Conference a report on the working of this Convention and shall consider the desirability of placing on the agenda of the Conference the question of its revision or modification.

Article 14
The French and English texts of this Convention shall both be authentic.