opinion and expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions
without interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas
through any media and regardless of frontiers.” The ILO Forced Labor
Convention Indicators also highlight that “victims of forced labor are often
isolated in remote areas, cut off from contact with the outside world.”
Communication is a fundamental human right, and the claim that internet
access could distract fishers due to family concerns is clearly insufficient
grounds to deny this right.
Although multiple channels for filing complaints currently exist, their
timeliness and effectiveness must be ensured, which depends on reliable
offshore communication. Ensuring fishers can connect seamlessly with the
outside world is essential. Therefore, the government is advised to make
the installation of Wi-Fi on distant water fishing vessels compulsory to
safeguard fishers' right to communication while at sea.
(2) Align wages with international standards
Seafarers operate within an international labor market, whether on
merchant ships or fishing vessels. To address this, the ILO has convened
the Joint Maritime Commission (JMC),101 a coalition of global shipowners
and seafarers’ unions, to establish minimum wage standards for seafarers.
The latest round of bilateral negotiations between the International
Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the International Transport Workers’
Federation (ITF) resulted in a gradual increase in the minimum monthly
wage for the next three years, as follows:102
•
US$658 starting January 1, 2023
•
US$666 starting January 1, 2024
The Joint Maritime Commission (JMC) is a bilateral body of the ILO, composed of
employer representatives coordinated by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and
seafarers' unions represented by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).
102
International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), “Global Shipowner Groups and
Seafarers' Unions Agree to a New Three-Year Global Minimum Wage Safety Net Agreement,”
May 24, 2022. (URL: https://www.itfseafarers.org/zh/node/28382)
101
127
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