Statement made by: International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF)
Made at: Thirteenth Session of the FAO Sub-Committee on Fisheries – Trade. Hyderabad, India, 20-24 February 2012.
Agenda Item 12: COFI Sub-Committee on Fish and Fish Trade as International Commodity Body for the Common Fund for Commodities
Decent work means productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity. It encompasses respect for basic rights like freedom of association, access to employment, safe and healthy working conditions, and social security. Decent work is still a dream for many fishworkers around the world.
Fishworkers toil under some of the most difficult working conditions imaginable – long backbreaking hours, low pay, difficult employment conditions, and few rights at work. They are often excluded in practice from the minimum standards of labour legislation. Unemploymentis high, jobs are unstable or temporary and there are often no health insurance, social insurance or pension rights. There is also the issue of employment of migrant workers in fish processing plants. As the International Commodity Body for fish and fishery products, we would therefore request FAO to consult with ILO and propose case studies on international fish trade and decent work of fishworkers.