contract-law labor-law interpretation
How to intepretate three paragraphs in my contract?
<p>I am a seaman and I have a work contract undersigned by both sides. In mentioned contract I have a paragraph saying, that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The payslip and balance payment will be forwarded after
evaluation of the work hour protocols until the 15th of the following
month.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another paragraph:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>For every day on board (24h), the crew member is entitled to 0,5 days
leave/holiday (12h).</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And in next paragraph it is written, that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The seaman is entitled to paid leave in accordance with legal
regulations of §§ 56 to 64 of the German Maritime Labour Act. The
calendar year is the basis for the calculation of working days and
times off. Place of vacation as per the meaning of the German Maritime
Labour Act is the hometown of the crew member.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Correct me, please, if I am wrong, but as I unserstand well, for <code>leave/holiday</code> money I should wait until the end of the year? Or 15th of each following month?</p>
<p>In first case, if the contract does not mention this, when should I have to be paid for <code>leave/holiday</code>?
Thank you in advance for your interpretation.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>for leave/holiday money I should wait until the end of the year? Or 15th of each following month? when should I have to be paid for leave/holiday?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Although the Act is not entirely clear on <em>when</em> you would be entitled for paid leave, it is safe to rule out the interpretation of &quot;<em>15th of each following month</em>&quot;.</p>
<p>Section 56(1) provides that &quot;<em>[a] crew member shall be entitled to paid leave for each year of employment</em>&quot;. This suggests that entitlement will be computed on a yearly basis, not monthly. Likewise, this provision supersedes a possible interpretation that the clause considers the end of calendar year (i.e., the 31st of December) to be the cut-off date. In reality, this and other sections of the Act reflect that the criterion for entitlement is the completion of the year of employment.</p>
<p>That being said, section 58(1) seems a bit inconsistent in that it provides earliest [requested] leave &quot;<em>where possible after six months' [sic] uninterrupted service on board</em>&quot;, thereby reducing <em>de facto</em> the time for entitlement as outlined in section 56(1) upon crew member's request.</p>
