Thank you very much for attending the 2nd of the 27the session Maritime Festival Appreciation Dinner. We sincerely appreciate the hard work and dedication of all crew members in their respective positions. It was for the efforts of our frontline crew members, the shipping industry can earn some serious cash and enjoyed annual bonuses ranging from 40 to 60 months and even 100 months over two years. However, have the crew members benefited from these profits? No! Shouldn't the crew members share in these profits? The answer is undoubtedly yes. It's just that the beneficiaries have long ignored the rights and interests that crew members deserve.
The labor laws and related occupational safety laws that onshore workers currently enjoy were not handed to them on a silver platter. They were obtained through the blood, sweat, and tears of early labor union movements. Even the street lights and traffic signs on the streets are the results of past struggles against injustice. The early Taiwan dockworkers' unions and their strong fight for rights, as well as the glorious times of the fishing industry, have all disappeared now. The reason is the lack of comprehensive legislative protection. When the Seafarer Act was amended, fishing boat crew members were not included. Now, we see that Taiwan's fishing boat crew members are all on small sampans, and all distant water fishing is done by foreign migrant workers. Why is that? Taiwan claims to be a maritime nation, but unfortunately, our regulatory authorities and elected representatives are unwilling to speak up for the rights of the crew members!
Companies are funded by the employers, while crew members contribute their labor to generate profits. Therefore, the profits should be shared. However, due to the extreme inequality between labor and management in Taiwan today, all the benefits are taken by the employers. If we continue to remain silent, soon Taiwan's merchant marine crew members will also be replaced by foreign migrant workers, following the path of fishing boat crew members. The shipping industry is a traditional industry, and with the development of AI and other new technologies, many new innovations may replace us. We need legislation and the concern of the people to protect us. That is why the China Steel Express Union has consistently been in the media spotlight in the past three years, participating in the election of the National Chinese Seamen’s Union and constantly clashing with shipping industry employers. Crew members need a voice to represent them, and the China Steel Express Union and the National Chinese Seamen’s union are here for our members!
Today, as I welcomed guests at the entrance, many brothers' first words to me were "hard work". But let me be real with you, the things the union can fight for go way beyond what you see right now. We are making progress but we are still far from success which may happen this year, next year, or even in ten years. However, one thing remains certain: someone needs to take action now.
Crew members need the protection of indefinite contracts. How can it be that a crew member who has dedicated thirty or forty years of service to the same company is labeled as a contract worker, simply because of a fixed-term employment contract? If the indefinite contract exemplar is approved by the Maritime Port Bureau this year, I believe everyone will enjoy better benefits, job security, and dignity as crew members! When the time comes, during shore leave, as companies continue paying your wages, employers will feel the pressure and eagerly urge your return after your rest!
Have you heard about any crew member who made a fortune from working on ships? Probably not! The main reason is that under fixed term contracts, leaving the ship is equivalent to being unemployed. Not only is there no salary, but even the most basic social welfare protection is absent. Without labor insurance or health insurance, if a crew member dies due to illness or has a car accident while en route to the ship, the company has no responsibility. This is entirely caused by fixed term contracts, which is terrible and despicable!
Therefore, what the China Steel Express Union and the National Chinese Seamen’s Union are doing now is defending the fair and just labor rights of crew members. Our labor rights are lagging behind onshore workers by thirty years, not to mention seafarers in advanced countries in Europe and America. You should dare to dream. If no one dares to dream, the maritime industry will be like a patient in an ICU with a GCS score of 9. When I first organized the union, everyone thought the union was useless and couldn't change anything. But today, I believe the brothers in the China Steel Express Union can feel the importance of the union. I can assure you that every officer’s original intention remains unchanged. As long as we stand together and persist, we will get closer and closer to success! Today is the beginning of union solidarity, and with strong determination towards our goals, the finish line is not far away!
Finally, I want to express special thanks to all the staff of the National Chinese Seamen’s Union-Kaohsiung Branch and the China Steel Express Union who organized today’s event, as well as Advisor Shao Yunliang, Advisor Liu Meijun, and Chairman Xu Fuli for joining us and cheering for Taiwan's crew me
