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Fishing boats The Maritime Union of New Zealand has welcomed today's announcement by the Government of the terms of reference and panel for an official and wide ranging inquiry into foreign owned vessels in the fishing industry.
Maritime Union General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says the Government's objectives sound good on paper, but the Union wants real answers.
"Enforceable rules and regulations for labour standards, and the need for New Zealand to benefit from our own resources, including jobs, are the big issues. This inquiry will need to shine a light into dark places."
"This inquiry is long overdue and the Maritime Union have been calling for one for many years. But we know in advance that this inquiry will confirm what we already know, that disgraceful practices have become the norm and accepted by the industry."
This has caused great harm, says Mr Fleetwood.
He says in 2006 new regulations were brought in to tighten up the rules around overseas crews on joint venture vessels, but the inquiry was effectively an admission that previous efforts had not cleaned up the industry.
"This is a problem that has been allowed to grow and grow for decades."
Mr Fleetwood says the Maritime Union's goal for the fishing industry was simple.
"We want to have the fishing and processing done by New Zealand operators employing New Zealand workers on decent wages and conditions. We want the phase out of joint ventures. They've been a failure, that has resulted in New Zealand being identified internationally as a place where disgraceful practices are condoned."
"If overseas crews are phased out, the abuse, exploitation and underpayment will be solved."
Mr Fleetwood says the Maritime Union would be working with other bona fide unions and the International Transport Workers' Federation to discuss ways to organize local and international labour in the industry.
Maritime Union General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says the Government's objectives sound good on paper, but the Union wants real answers.
"Enforceable rules and regulations for labour standards, and the need for New Zealand to benefit from our own resources, including jobs, are the big issues. This inquiry will need to shine a light into dark places."
"This inquiry is long overdue and the Maritime Union have been calling for one for many years. But we know in advance that this inquiry will confirm what we already know, that disgraceful practices have become the norm and accepted by the industry."
This has caused great harm, says Mr Fleetwood.
He says in 2006 new regulations were brought in to tighten up the rules around overseas crews on joint venture vessels, but the inquiry was effectively an admission that previous efforts had not cleaned up the industry.
"This is a problem that has been allowed to grow and grow for decades."
Mr Fleetwood says the Maritime Union's goal for the fishing industry was simple.
"We want to have the fishing and processing done by New Zealand operators employing New Zealand workers on decent wages and conditions. We want the phase out of joint ventures. They've been a failure, that has resulted in New Zealand being identified internationally as a place where disgraceful practices are condoned."
"If overseas crews are phased out, the abuse, exploitation and underpayment will be solved."
Mr Fleetwood says the Maritime Union would be working with other bona fide unions and the International Transport Workers' Federation to discuss ways to organize local and international labour in the industry.
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Not in New Zealand´s waters, surely?
Labour and human rights abuses aboard foreign fishing vessels
Report Background“We are slaves because normal employees have a voice, but we do not…didn’t expect this when we sign the contract, but once on the boat we are trapped…we were trapped into modern slavery…in the old days slaves were not paid and chained, now we are paid and trapped…but we are worse than slaves…”
On 18 August 2010, Oyang 70, a South Korean fishing vessel fishing in New Zealand´s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), capsized and quickly sank in calm conditions with the loss of six lives. Beyond the tragedy of the loss of lives, information obtained from the surviving crew detailed labour and other human rights abuses aboard the Oyang 70.
This is not the only allegation of abuse aboard foreign-crewed charter vessels fishing in New Zealand’s EEZ. Currently there are over 2000 foreign crew working on 27 foreign charter vessels (FCVs) in New Zealand waters. New Zealand government policy supports the use of high quality FCVs to complement the local fishing fleet, provided FCVs do not provide a competitive advantage due to lower labour costs and foreign crew receive protection from exploitation.
Using the global value chain and global production network analyses, this research examines from an institutional perspective, which institutions are responsible for the working conditions of an important but largely invisible and vulnerable workforce on FCVs in New Zealand waters.
Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with key individuals in the fisheries industry and with foreign crew. We found within the fisheries value chain there is an institutional void pertaining to labour standards on board FCVs and in many cases disturbing levels of inhumane conditions and practices have become institutionalised.
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