LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), led by TUCP President and House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza (TUCP Party-list), met with Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom Teodoro “Teddy Boy” Lopez Locsin Jr. to tackle the urgent issue of exploitation faced by Filipino fishers aboard UK vessels. Also present were Deputy Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Consul Raphael Hermoso, Maritime Attaché Atty. Sharon Aledo, and Migrant Workers Office-Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) London Officer-in-Charge Sheila Mae Aguilar. The discussions focused on improving working conditions, securing stronger labor protections, and advocating for a fair visa system that upholds the rights of Filipino migrant fishers.
“Our kababayan are the backbone of the UK’s fishing industry, yet they are treated as invisible, overworked, and underpaid second-class workers, denied basic labor protections, and trapped in the vicious cycle of exploitation. This must stop right now,” underscored TUCP President and House Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza.
According to a 2023 article from the Financial Times, over half of the UK’s 11,000-strong fishing workforce are migrant workers, including Filipinos. For decades, UK fishing operators exploited transit visas, originally meant for merchant seafarers, to bypass employment laws and deny migrant fishers proper labor protections.
“This transit visa loophole has perpetuated the cruel treatment of Filipino fishers as disposable labor—working them nonstop, paying them little to nothing, and saddling them with recruitment debts in clear violation of ILO Convention 188,” Mendoza emphasized.
The TUCP has long been calling for the Philippines to ratify ILO Convention No. 188 for all fishers at home and most importantly, abroad. In the 19th Congress, the TUCP once again filed House Resolution No. 2059 calling on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. to act with urgency—ratify ILO Convention No. 188 and secure the Senate’s concurrence without delay.
“Millions of Filipino fishers struggle under exploitative conditions, earning barely enough to sustain their families. With little hope for a better future at home, many seek work abroad—only to face forced labor, human trafficking, and inhumane treatment in international waters,” warned Mendoza.
The UK Government recently announced that migrant fishers can now apply for Skilled Worker Visas, formally recognizing their status as offshore workers as well as guaranteeing essential benefits such as higher wages, labor protections, and opportunities for family reunification. “While the Skilled Worker Visa is a step forward in the right direction, significant barriers remain, spearheaded by financially inaccessible visa costs, prohibitively expensive and difficult English proficiency test requirements, and lack of awareness, preventing affected fishers from accessing the new visa,” lamented Mendoza.
The TUCP is pushing for a bilateral labor agreement between the Philippines and the UK to harmonize work contracts and extend labor protections to all migrant fishers, regardless of status, lower barriers to visa eligibility to be more accessible and affordable for Filipino fishers, and strengthen Philippines-UK cooperation for fair and ethical recruitment practices.
Ambassador Locsin and the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) have pledged to collaborate with the TUCP, Associated Philippine Seafarers Union (APSU), and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) to address the concerns of Filipino fishers, particularly in elevating their status to skilled workers given their vital frontline roles aboard UK fishing vessels. This initiative aligns with the Philippine government’s whole-of-government approach, spearheaded by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), in securing a bilateral agreement with the UK government.
“Filipino fishers sacrifice their blood, sweat, and tears, even risking their lives, to feed UK households—it is high time they get the fair terms and conditions of work, treatment, and wages they long demand and deserve. Our continued collaboration will drive higher wages for our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the fishing industry and tackle the key employment challenges of high visa fees and English proficiency requirements, among many others. Ultimately, our proposed Philippines-United Kingdom bilateral labor agreement is a partnership for dignity, fairness, and justice,” underscored Mendoza.
