The Council of Agriculture (COA) yesterday said it hoped the upcoming cross-strait talks could resolve the long-neglected issue of labor rights for Chinese fishermen working on Taiwanese vessels.
“By formulating a policy on [Chinese] fishermen, we can create a more humanitarian working environment as well as ensure the safety of our fishing vessels,” Council Deputy Minister Hu Sing-hwa (胡興華) told a media briefing.
The fourth meeting between Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) and his Chinese counterpart, Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait Chairman Chen Yun-lin (陳雲林), will take place on Dec. 22.
Policies including labor rights for Chinese fishermen and standardizing import procedures for agricultural goods will be among the four main items on the agenda.
Hu said he did not foresee any major changes in the number of Chinese fishermen working on Taiwanese boats after the signing of the agreement.
The government first allowed local fishing vessels to hire Chinese workers 15 years ago amid a shortage of domestic workers, which officials attributed to the low pay and hard working conditions. It lifted a ban on Chinese workers entering domestic ports in 2003 following protests by human rights organizations over their poor treatment.
Council figures show that the average monthly pay for Chinese workers was just under NT$15,000 last year. Although this was higher compared with the pay for other foreign workers, many operators prefer hiring Chinese workers because they speak the same language.
While Taiwanese workers on fishing vessels are covered by labor laws, workers from China are not.
Hu said creating a clear chain of responsibility starting with China-based agencies that provide the workers to improving their working conditions would also ensure the safety of Taiwanese crews and vessels.
Council statistics shows 25 cases of hijackings by Chinese crewmembers and 11 cases of murder. Since the government allowed Chinese workers to enter local ports, there have also been 402 cases of Chinese absconding, with 149 still at large.
“We still encourage fishing vessel operators to hire Taiwanese workers, but the fact is many Taiwanese do not want this job,” Hu said, adding that the COA has instituted policies to encourage Taiwanese to join the industry, including a monthly subsidy of NT$10,000 in addition to bonuses offered by the Council of Labor Affairs.
The COA also promised to draw attention to Taipei and Beijing’s different import inspection standards for agricultural goods, which it said has hurt Taiwanese agricultural industries.
“Because of the differing regulations, many Taiwanese products have a hard time entering the Chinese market,” Hu said.
Taiwan exported NT$14 billion (US$436 million) in agricultural goods to China last year.
Hu promised the council would not ease its regulations — including requiring agricultural goods to undergo 657 types of inspections before they are admitted for imports in line with international standards — to conform with China's.
“Instead, [Beijing] should follow our standards to improve its own and catch up with the international community,” he said.
Hu had no comment when asked if China's import regulations represented an invisible trade barrier to protect their domestic manufacturers, as Taiwanese fruit suppliers have alleged.
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