Review of Support Payment for Fishing Crew During Fishing Ban Period with Industrial Accident Rate 10 Times Higher than Manufacturing Industry... Tripartite Agreement Reached

Tripartite Commission Holds Declaration Ceremony for Agreement on Ensuring Safety and Health of Fishermen

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] To improve the working conditions of fishermen, whose industrial accident rate is about 10 times higher than that of the manufacturing industry, labor, management, and government have agreed to review support measures for livelihood stabilization funds during fishing moratorium periods. They are also promoting measures to guarantee working conditions such as rest time and holidays equivalent to those under the Labor Standards Act for fishermen.

The Economic, Social and Labor Council (ESLC), a tripartite social dialogue body under the direct control of the president, announced on the 24th that labor, management, and government have reached an agreement on the "Agreement for Ensuring Safety and Health and Improving Labor Environment for Fishermen," which includes these contents.

According to the ESLC, the industrial accident rate for fishermen is 7.62%, higher than that of the construction industry (1.17%) and manufacturing industry (0.72%). This result came from dividing the number of workers recognized as having industrial accidents by the total number of workers. It is reported that about 100 fishermen die annually due to industrial accidents.

After a year of discussions, labor, management, and government decided to push for amendments to the Fisheries Safety Operation Act. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will be in charge of the industrial safety and health system for all fishing vessels. They also agreed to prepare measures to improve long working hours. Currently, the Seafarers Act and the Labor Standards Act do not apply holiday and rest time regulations to fisheries. This means fishermen can work long hours at any time. Labor, management, and government agreed to apply the Seafarers Act to fishermen on vessels under 20 tons to improve labor standards.

They will continue discussions on providing livelihood stabilization support funds during fishing moratoriums, improving jobs, and establishing welfare systems. This is to build a sustainable fishing village ecosystem in the long term.

Moon Sung-hyun, chairman of the ESLC, emphasized, "To create a safe sea, not only legal and institutional improvements but also the participation and will of labor, management, and government are important," adding, "Since labor, management, and government have united their intentions through agreement, active roles from labor and management and continuous implementation by the government are urgently needed."

Jeon Young-woo, chairman of the Fishermen's Committee and professor at Korea Maritime and Ocean University, said, "This agreement is a starting point to shed the stigma of being a backward country in fishing vessel safety, where about 100 people die annually," and added, "For substantial change, active roles from labor and management and the government's commitment to implementation are crucial."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.