Definitions.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,--

1. (a) "agreement with the crew" means the agreement referred to in section 100 or, as the case may be, section 114 of the Merchant Shipping Act;
2. (b) "Board" means the Board of Trustees of the Seamen's Provident Fund constituted under section 5;
3. (c) "continuous discharge certificate" means the certificate referred to in section 99 of the Merchant Shipping Act;
4. (d) "contribution" means a contribution payable in respect of a member under the Scheme;
5. (e) "employer", in relation to a seaman, means the owner of the ship on which the seaman is employed or engaged, or the agent of such owner or the master of the ship;
6. (f) "Fund" means the Seamen's Provident Fund established under the Scheme;
7. (g) "Government" means the Central Government;
8. (h) "master" and "ship" have the meanings respectively assigned to them in the Merchant Shipping Act;
   • (i) "member" means a seaman who is in possession of a continuous discharge certificate and who is admitted as a member of the Fund;
9. (j) "Merchant Shipping Act" means the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 (44 of 1958);
10. (k) "Scheme" means the Seamens Provident Fund Scheme framed under sub-section (1) of section 3;
11. (l) "seaman" means a person employed or engaged as a member of the crew of a ship under the Merchant Shipping Act but does not include 1 [a welfare officer, nurse, musician, pilot or deck barber];
12. (m) "service" means the period of employment of a seaman under the agreement with the crew and includes any period in respect of which wages are paid or are payable to him;
13. (n) "wages" means the basic wages for the time being payable to a seaman under the agreement with the crew and includes--
    • (i) any remuneration to which he is entitled in respect of holidays or any leave period;
    • (ii) any increase of such wages in accordance with such agreement or any other agreement between the parties; but does not include the overtime allowance.