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A QUARTER OF Irish fishing vessels that were inspected by the state were caught with illegal workers on board last year, new figures show.
The investigation comes amid claims that a system for giving permits to fishing workers from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) – introduced in an attempt to regulate the sector – is ineffective and that exploitation is still rife.
A former minister who helped set up the scheme says many workers are doing 100-hour weeks and only being paid for a standard 39 hours, while a key union official claims employers still aren’t properly held to account.
There are also suggestions that thousands of undocumented workers could still be employed in Irish waters.
In 2015, an investigation by the Guardian found that workers from Africa and Asia were routinely being employed illegally on Irish fishing trawlers and were being exploited as a source of cheap labour.
It claimed that undocumented workers often worked for days on end without sleep or basic safety training, while often being paid below the minimum wage.
Permit scheme
The government set up a permit scheme in 2016 to provide workers with clear contracts backed by minimum pay levels and other mandatory terms and conditions.
It was supported with a compliance team from the Workplace Relations Commission to inspect fishing vessels.
However figures from the organisation’s recent annual report show that 136 inspections on 110 vessels yielded 28 cases where inspectors found non-EEA workers on board who did not have valid permission to work.
According to a statement to the Dáil by Jobs Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor, there were another 59 employment rights breaches detected by WRC inspectors on top of the specified cases.
Asked what action it has taken following its inspections, the WRC told Fora: “The commission’s objective is to facilitate voluntary compliance insofar as contraventions are concerned.
“Vessel owners are afforded all reasonable opportunities to rectify contraventions and, where relevant, pay any unpaid wages and/or make good on entitlements arising from these contraventions.
“It is the policy of the commission to initiate legal proceedings in cases where a vessel owner has failed or is unwilling to effect compliance.”
“It’s a joke”
However, only two prosecutions have gone ahead since the permit scheme was set up. In that case the two fishermen were prosecuted under the Illegal Immigrants (Trafficking) Act 2000.
They were both cleared of any wrongdoing. The WRC did not respond when asked by Fora if any other prosecutions have been initiated.
Ken Fleming, an official from the International Transport Federation who helped the Guardian during its investigation, said that the permit scheme has proved ineffective.
Speaking to Fora, he said: “There is no one that can convince me that the permit scheme is working.
“The boat owners are being cuddled with the policy of encouragement to make people comply. Is that the way we get rid of drunk drivers, by encouraging and cuddling them? It’s a joke.”
Fleming also said that he “didn’t accept” that 25% of vessels had illegal workers on board – and claimed that the figure was likely much higher.
As of the end of March, just 187 permits that would allow staff to legally work in the fishing industry for a year have been granted.
When setting up the scheme, then-agriculture and marine minister Simon Coveney established a ‘cap’ of 500 workers for the initiative.
Work conditions
Francis O’Donnell, the CEO of the Irish Fish Producers Organisation, admitted it was anticipated that somewhere near 500 permits would be issued to workers.
Despite this, he added: “If the gardaí and the WRC have done raids and found little or no problems, then there isn’t a widespread issue here. If there is an issue then there is something wrong with the policing of the system.
“We will not stand beside anyone who has been found to have been doing wrong by the gardaí and the WRC. We have vessels that are paying people good wages, and there are plenty of good skippers that will give good conditions.”
Regarding the 25% of vessels that did have undocumented workers on board, he said that many had applied for permits but were left waiting due to the tardiness of the system.
However, a spokesman for the Department of Justice said: “There has been no delay in processing applications where all details have been provided.”
100-hour weeks
However Fleming, whose organisation is an international trade union group based in the UK, said that even workers with permits were being underpaid as they were given only the minimum wage for a 39-hour week.
“There isn’t a fisherman in the world who could operate for 39 hours a week at sea and do his job,” he said, adding that many people are in reality working for up to 100 hours a week.
Labour senator Ged Nash, the junior minister for business when the Irish government’s initiative was being set up, also repeated similar claims in a recent Seanad debate.
“I have heard testimony from some (workers) that they were being paid the national minimum wage rate for a 39-hour week, which would amount to around €360, while working on vessels for in excess of 100 hours per week in many cases.
“This is illegal and these kinds of claims need to be investigated. The rights of these workers need to be vindicated by the state.”
Nash pointed to recent claims from an Egyptian embassy official that up 2,000 of his country’s nationals could be working on Irish trawlers from both sides of the border.
“The scheme limits the number of permits to be issued to 500, and nothing even close to that number has been issued,” he said.
“I have spoken to a number of decent, compliant trawler owners who wanted the scheme to succeed and who have pointed out the flaws in the scheme to departments.
“They want to be able to hire the skilled workers they need to operate their businesses, and they also want to see those who are thumbing their nose at the scheme to be held to account and to be taken to task by the agencies which are obliged to enforce the terms of the scheme.”
In response to questions from Nash, Environment Minister Denis Naughten said that Department of Justice officials “have worked with others within the industry to ensure compliance and where issues arise that they are dealt with by the appropriate authorities”.
“Justice officials have contacted their counterparts in the Department of Agriculture and the Marine with a view to meeting to assess the overall operation of the scheme to date,” he said.
Written by Paul O’Donoghue and posted on Fora.ie
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It’s not rocket science lads, season ban for anyone hiring undocumented workers. Simples.
@canuckandgo:
Undocumented? Illegal workers
@Just Some Guy: Same thing – but yeah, let’s call a spade a spade. Presumably these boat owners are being prosecuted though? Right?
Pendency at it’s best…
@canuckandgo: but sorry i thought controlling your borders was racist and we were all supposed to feel sorry for US businesses without a supply of illegal immigrants? So it happens in ireland and now it is bad?
how can our fishermen make any money with dutch spanish and huge russian factory ships taking all our fish? we got severly screwed by the Eu.
@gregory: And the solution to that is modern slavery?
I wondered how long it would take for someone to make it their fault.
@Tony Canning: the solution is that our politicians stop giving all our fish for free to foreign countries. We’re losing huge money because our politicians don’t stand up for us. At least Norway told the Eu to take a hike and they’re making huge money as a result.
@gregory: Making excuses is worse than just being an apologist.
@Tony Canning: Address the point. This stealing of our fish is costing this country huge money since we joined the Eu. Our politicians are not representing our National Interest.
@gregory: at least acknowledge that hiring illegals and working them like that is wrong .. I agree with your other points though.
@Suzie Sunshine: how much are the russian and spanish factory ship workers getting paid?
@gregory: I am addressing the point. You’re advocating for slavery and using the big bad EU as an excuse.
@Tony Canning: the big bad eu just facilitated the transfer of irish jobs to romania avg salary €500/mth. post below. the Eu doesnt’t give a damn about Ireland.
@Suzie Sunshine: suzie, true but we cant compete w slave wages on russian spanish factory ship. lets get our fisheries back – it should be a billion dollar industry here and pay fair wages to all. The Norwegian system is an excellent example!
@gregory: pathetically conflating a low wage economy with slavery now….
Irish fishing industry worth 850million a year. Irish fishing industry worth 9billion a year to Eu This is the real problem.
@Sinbad the sailor: 100% and why the hell Irish people don’t protest about this issue is beyond me. Our politicians are useless. Look how many jobs we could have created a major industry like the Norwegians. It is time our politicians were held to account instead of the people lying down like sheep.
@Sinbad the sailor: I heard someone describe fish in Irish waters as European fish as due to migration they may only be passing through Irish waters. Don’t know if that is a fair comment?
@Finn Bowe: if this is true leave them wait till said fish have migrated through Irish waters.
Modern day slave galleys
@Tony Hardwicke: speaking of slave wages….over 200 workers lost their jobs in longford recently at a key supplier of components to the oil and gas industry-Cameron who was based in ireland for nearly 40 years . the workshop workers in ireland were getting around €3k/month. The manufacturing operation was moved to another Eu country where the workers get paid about €3/hour or €500/month all aided and abetted by the Eu with Infrastructural Grants to offset the over €100mln cost of building a state of the art factory. So dont talk to me about the Eu or a level playing regarding wages. the Eu represents big business not equality.
@gregory: it was moved to Romania.
I am a fishermen and last year we were broken down we had two lads on contract and 5 Irish lads so for 3 months the contract lads got there money every week but we get nothing can’t even get the dole we are self employed but yet we can get sacked I started a new job and we are having problems with boat so I have not made a wage in 6 weeks I was on a boat when Mr Fleming came aboard check on out crew so he went to the foreign lads first and ask were they be treated OK and everything was and then I asked Mr Fleming how come you didn’t ask the Irish crew men which was five men and his answer was there Irish and they are OK it’s a total joke we work big hours and some times we don’t even make a wage cause of weather or other problems who is there to look after us
You get paid by what you catch. If it’s a poor week fishing wages will be poor , if it’s a good week fishing wages will be good simple science, if the don’t like it no one is stopping them from quitting their not chained to the boats like slaves, it’s a tough industry as it is without all this bolloxology .
@Sinbad the sailor: ‘simple science’, Russian for, ‘I’m trolling from St. Petersburg’.
@Sinbad the sailor: True that. I know of three Filipino fishermen doing prawns in The Porcupine all year round. Rarely come off the boat. £1200/month paid into the bank for herself and the family, and all are delighted.
@Grotmaster: no doubt they’d be even more delighted if their wages reflected the hours they work.
If we’re going to even try to pretend that we live up to the most basic standard of decency, we have to give these fishermen a decent working wage. It’s not all about dangling a line over the bow of a boat, or dropping a net in the water, it’s a very dangerous job at times, and I’m speaking from personal experience from when I was younger.
We have all of these big brave comments from people hiding behind keyboards, giving out about immigrants, and the same people probably cream their pants trying to get a slice of toast out of the toaster with a fork. It’s pathetic.
@Grainne Abdulaziz: there illegal they should be stopped by the authorities long before the even get on a boat.
@Sinbad the sailor: There was never a time when illegal fisherman haven’t been on fishing vessels. I don’t think the general public give a damn how the fish on their plate is caught. I also notice a lot of syntax errors in your comments which strongly indicate you are not, yourself, an Irish-born fisherman. This doesn’t bother me personally, but can I ask are you operating on a valid licence and registered vessel in Irish waters?
@Grainne Abdulaziz: Grainne: our rescue services were out twice to rescue russian workers on factory ships recently – address that why we are giving our fish away. If you’re so worried about honours English i suggest you avoid this site and logic dictates foreign fishing interests are not going to support any of the arguments he posted which are to stand up for our National Interest which I would suggest is more important than your policing of the English language idem you are missing the point entirely. Look at the big picture.
@Grainne Abdulaziz: I’m Irish born, a fisherman of 20 years . Own my own boat employ only Irish crew. The industry has been good financially to us . In my 20 years I’ve only worked with Irish crew. Yes there is greedy fishermen who did or do employ illegal workers. But let not that tarnish the vast majority of good genuine Irish fishermen who work in this hard industry with the little quota we’re giving .
@Sinbad the sailor: You’re about as Irish as a pineapple, yourself and gregory are trolski trolski from Petrograd, dobra!
@Grainne Abdulaziz: well with a surname like yours I think the odds of me been more Irish than you are in my favour, plus we’re involved in the industry so if all you can question how Irish we are you know very little on the issues in the fishing industry
Load of old carp.
Fishing is always tough no matter where you are from.
Undocumented, illegal, or with work permit anyone not being paid for their labour is a slave. Slavery was abolished many years ago. Let’s not reintroduce it by sleight of hand.
@John Campbell: How much are the workers on those russian and spanish factory ships being paid ?
Construction ask restaurant trade is no different but it was OK for I phone Joan to do it through Jobs bridge.
Remember it was 39 hrs per week for €50.
have your say