Manila: A workers’ party-list group on Thursday called for the immediate ratification of an international convention ensuring decent working conditions and welfare of Filipino fishers. In a statement, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) Party-list emphasized the importance of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Work in Fishing Convention (Convention No. 188), which sets global standards for safety, medical care, fair pay, and social protection in the fishing industry.

According to Philippines News Agency, the TUCP highlighted the severe conditions faced by millions of Filipino fishers and seafarers aboard foreign fishing vessels, including dangerous working environments, meager wages, and limited job security. ‘Every day that we fail to ratify ILO Convention No. 188, we abandon [our fishers] to a fate unworthy of their heroic sacrifice for their family, nation, and the world. Now is the time for action!’ the TUCP said.

The TUCP underscored the urgent need for action, citing widespre
ad exploitation in the fisheries sector. “This is not only a matter of economics. It is a question of justice as our fisherfolk are deprived of the fruits of their labor in one of the most unsafe, unregulated, and undervalued industries in the world known to mankind-the fishing industry,” the group stated.

The TUCP renewed its push for the ratification of the convention through House Resolution No. 2059, urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to ratify the ILO convention and calling for Senate concurrence. “The TUCP calls for the immediate ratification of ILO Convention No. 188 as a national imperative and a moral duty to ensure that no more Filipino worker sets sail without the safeguards they demand and deserve,” it said.

Additionally, the TUCP urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to prioritize the conduct of the national interest analysis and immediately secure the concurrence of all relevant government agencies responsible for implementing the convention. The ILO Work in Fishing Convention
aims to ensure that fishers have decent conditions of work on board fishing vessels, including accommodation and food, occupational safety and health protection, medical care, and social security.

‘Ultimately, the ratification of ILO Convention No. 188 sends a strong message to the world that the Philippines under the unifying and modernizing Marcos Administration will stand for nothing less than the safety and dignity of every Filipino worker and their family,’ the TUCP stated.