SHOCKING ABUSES of Filipino seafarers have been roundly condemned by unionist and nationalist politicians in the North.
SHOCKING ABUSES of Filipino seafarers have been roundly condemned by unionist and nationalist politicians in the North.
A recent report published by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in Northern Ireland documented cases of numerous local Filipino fishermen being subject to poor pay, intimidation and even physical attacks. The data was collected by the International Transport Feder-ation.
Around 160 Filipinos are believed to work in Northern Ireland’s fishing industry, and among the cases highlighted was that of 11 Filipino fishermen who sought assistance from non-governmental organisations and immigration services in April to facilitate their repatriation after experiencing abuse from their employer in Kilkeel, Co Down.
One of the Filipino workers in the report complained of being assaulted, not being able to eat on time, and working overtime without compensation and rest.
Reacting to the revelations, Jim Wells, the Democratic Unionist Party representative for South Down, emphasised that the Kilkeel incident was the work of a single individual and did not accurately reflect on the fishing industry in general.
“The allegations at the heart of this case and the video footage of the conditions these people were kept in, which I expect to emerge soon, are some of the most disturbing that I have heard of or witnessed over the course of my time in public life,” he said. “That innocent people should have been held in such conditions and subjected to such obscene cruelty and degradation is truly shocking in this day and age.
“The individual at the centre of this case is not in any way at all a representative of the community or of the fishermen of the area. It is vitally important that reality is not lost.
“Fishermen from all over Northern Ireland will be as appalled as everyone else at what has happened. I know that they will join everyone in Northern Ireland in forthright and utter condemnation of what has happened in this case.”
Alex Maskey, Sinn Féin MLA and member of the Policing Board (pictured above), also slammed the treatment of Filipino fishermen, calling it archaic and indentured labour. He has further called for a spotlight to be kept upon the treatment of foreign workers who face exploitation.
He commented: “The recent revelations of how Filipino fishermen are being abused is shocking and reminiscent of feudal times and slavery and I welcome the work of those who have exposed this. The rights of these men must be protected.
“The Agriculture Depart-ment alongside the trade unions have been working hard with the fishery sector to get the best treatment for the fishermen. The industry has committed itself to root out those who do not comply and protect their workers against such abuses.
“Filipino fishermen are getting well below the minimum wage, they are not being paid as they should with the right money being sent home to their families and have to work horrendously long hours.”
He concluded: “Given the fact that the Filipino fishermen are working on a visa, [there] is a fear amongst them that they can be deported at any time. Many indeed do not have legal status. This amounts to the construction of a culture of fear indentured labour.”
