Source link : https://londonnews24.com/2025/02/17/news/tucp-urges-philippines-and-uk-to-forge-new-labor-pact-to-protect-filipino-migrant-fishers-from-exploitation/
UNITED EFFORTS FOR FILIPINO MIGRANT FISHERMEN
In a pivotal gathering at the Philippine Embassy in London, UK, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) President and House Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza (TUCP Party-list) held engaging discussions with prominent figures like Philippine Ambassador to the UK, Teodoro “Teddy Boy” Lopez Locsin Jr. Present at this significant meeting were Deputy Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Consul Raphael Hermoso, Maritime Attaché Atty. Sharon Aledo, and Sheila Mae Aguilar from the Migrant Workers Office-OWWA in London. They were joined by TUCP Party-list’s Chief of Staff Archie Ranin and Associated Philippine Seafarers Union (APSU) National Vice President for Operations Atty. Generick Humprey Morales.
Addressing Urgent Issues Faced by Filipino Fishers
The talks centered around critical concerns regarding exploitation that Filipino fishers endure while employed on UK vessels. Mendoza emphasized that these workers are essential to the UK’s tucp-urges-philippines-uk-bilateral-labor-pact-to-combat-exploitation-of-filipino-migrant-fishers/” title=”TUCP Urges Philippines-UK Bilateral Labor Pact to Combat Exploitation of Filipino Migrant Fishers”>fishing sector yet are subjected to harsh conditions—often overworked, undercompensated, and stripped of basic labor rights.
“Filipino workers form an integral part of Britain’s fishing industry; however, they remain largely overlooked and subjected to systemic challenges akin to being second-class citizens,” stated Mendoza decisively.
The Reality Behind Exploitation
A recent Financial Times article highlighted a staggering reality: over 50% of the UK’s approximately 11,000 fishing workforce comprises migrant laborers—including a significant number from the Philippines. For years now, operators in the UK fishing industry have exploited transit visas intended for merchant seafarers to sidestep labor laws designed for protecting migrant fishers‘ rights.
“This loophole surrounding transit visas has resulted in Filipino fishers being treated as expendable resources: forced into exhausting workloads with minimal pay while incurring recruitment debts—all violating ILO Convention No. 188,” added Mendoza with urgency.
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Author : london
Publish date : 2025-02-17 21:24:29
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