Yilan Migrant Fishermen Union secretary-general Allison Lee (李麗華) on Tuesday was recognized at a US Department of State ceremony in Washington for upholding the rights of foreign fishermen.
She was one of eight people awarded the department’s Hero Acting to End Modern Slavery Award, and is the first Taiwanese to receive the honor.
Lee was honored “in recognition of her unwavering advocacy on behalf of foreign fishermen on Taiwan-flagged vessels, her central role in forming the first labor union composed of and led by foreign workers, and her courage in demanding stronger protections for vulnerable workers through sustained engagement with authorities and the public,” the department said.
Photo: EPA
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Ivanka Trump, US President Donald Trump’s daughter, presented Lee with the award and asked her about her work.
The ceremony was held in conjunction with the release of the department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report.
Taiwan was listed in the Tier 1 category — the highest ranking in the report — for the eighth straight year, but the report expressed concerns about foreign fishermen being abused by Taiwanese boat owners and their exploitation by brokers.
Lee was a key figure in the establishment of the Yilan Migrant Fishermen Union in February 2013, the nation’s first union focused on the rights and interests of foreign fishermen.
Her efforts drew the attention and recommendation of the American Institute in Taiwan.
Lee said that she was previously involved in labor movements and later followed former Taipei Department of Labor director Cheng Tsun-chi (鄭村棋) to work in government.
She started to help foreign fishermen five years ago, saying that being a Christian gave her strength to withstand the pressure from all levels of government, businesses and the Chinese Federation of Labor, and never give up.
While foreign fishermen cannot vote in Taiwan and rarely receive attention from elected officials, they are also members of Taiwanese society, Lee said.
“I have learned a lot from helping them,” she said.
Taiwan’s room for maneuver internationally is already limited, Lee said, adding that the nation’s image would only get worse if it cannot reduce discrimination and abuse of foreign fishermen and migrant workers.
“It’s awful and shameful,” she said.
Asked how protection of foreign workers’ rights could be improved, she said the top priority is for labor authorities to enforce laws.
The problem is not that Taiwan does not have laws, it is that the laws are not enforced, she said.
The State Department has arranged for Lee to visit Boston and Miami, and meet with labor groups during her 15-day visit.
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