Migrant Labour and the Politics of Immobilisation: Cambodian Fishermen in Thailand

2010 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 915-932 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annuska Derks
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Fishing Industry ◽  
Migrant Labour ◽  
Fishing Vessels ◽  
Fishing Sector ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Different Levels

AbstractCambodian migrant workers in the Thai fishing industry are increasingly portrayed as the new ‘victims of trafficking’ and as ‘sea slaves’ who are ‘forced to fish,’ but are at the same time considered to be unruly and mobile workers who squander their earnings. Instead of being a result of separate migration streams or distinct groups of migrants, this article shows that these contradictions are inherent to the processes in which essentially mobile workers are immobilised at the place of destination. These immobilisation processes take place at different levels and should be understood in relation to the specificities of work in the fishing sector in general as well as the particular (migrant) labour system that has developed in certain sectors of the Thai labour market, leading to the creation of a flexible, disposable workforce that is bound to the work on Thai fishing vessels.

Employers and migration in low‐skilled services in Dublin

2012 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 628-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siobhán Rachel McPhee
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
State Policies ◽  
Service Industries ◽  
Immigration Policies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Celtic Tiger ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Migrant Labour ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the role of employers as “institutional” factors in the creation of segmentation in the labour market. Industrial structure defines segments of the labour market (the employer) based on the nature of demand, and with the impact on the individual workers or groups based on their personal characteristics.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical work is within the Dublin labour market, which experienced the largest increase in availability of migrant workers under immigration policies of the Celtic Tiger state. Focused on the sectors of catering, cleaning and security as low‐skilled service sector providers, the analysis is based on 24 semi‐structured interviews with employers selected based on a database of a cross‐section of all employers in the selected sectors in Dublin.FindingsSemi‐structured interviews reinforce state policies as key institutional factor underlying migrant labour trends and experiences, but perspectives of the employers in low‐end service industries reveal additional insights. In addition to using migrant labour as a means of cost cutting, the daily actions of employers reveal cultural stereotyping of workers, making them an elemental component “exploiting” the trends facilitated by state immigration policies.Originality/valueAlthough a large body of research on migration into Ireland during the Celtic Tiger years is available, little of it has focused on labour market processes. More broadly, in attempting to understand labour market processes and the creation of segmentation there needs to be a triangulation of processes of supply, demand and state policies; and employers are key players in shaping demand and exploiting supply trends.

scholarly journals Occupational Health and Safety in the New Zealand Fishing Industry: Preliminary Finding of the Key Issues

1970 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Hayman ◽  
Danae Anderson ◽  
Felicity Lamm
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Preliminary Finding ◽  
Commercial Fishing ◽  
Fishing Industry ◽  
Diverse Workforce ◽  
Fishing Vessels ◽  
Fishing Sector

In 2008 there were approximately 3,500 registered commercial fishing vessels in New Zealand and 2,500 full­time employees working in the industry, a fraction of New Zealand’s two million plus labour force. However, in the Maritime New Zealand’s Annual Report 2000­2001 it was reported that New Zealand’s commercial fishing sector represented a disproportionately high number of maritime fatalities. With the exception of the 2007 fatality figures, the rate of Maritime New Zealand reported fatalities and accidents within the commercial fishing sector have remained fairly static. As a result, there have been a variety of initiatives implemented in this hazardous industry, for example, FishSAFE, and a number of reviews undertaken. However, unlike other sectors, implementing OHS interventions in the fishing industry has to account for a number of unique features such as the employment strata, geographical isolation of job, precariousness of employment, increasingly a diverse workforce and social issues such as substance abuse, and. This paper reports on preliminary findings based on interview data of employers and employees in the New Zealand fishing industry. In particular, it exposes a number of barriers to implementing and maintaining OHS measures, for example, increasingly tight profit margins, time pressures, and confusion around regulatory requirements. The initial findings also indicate that the command and control structure of managing staff in the fishing industry can influence individual and group perception and acceptance of risk. Finally, the paper highlights areas requiring further investigation.

scholarly journals The perforated borders of labour migration and the formal state

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis Vinicius Portes Virginio ◽  
Brian Garvey ◽  
Paul Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
State Regulation ◽  
State Agency ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Migrant Labour ◽  
The North ◽  
Political Economies ◽  
Extra State

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the variation in migrant labour market regimes and what these reveal about variant patterns of state and extra state regulation in two contemporary political economies. Design/methodology/approach Research based upon a participatory action research agenda in Mexico and the north of Ireland. Migrant workers and their families where involved in the project and its development. This included participation in the research design, its focus and purpose. Findings Migrant workers experiences of labour market subordination are part of wider processes of subordination and exclusion involving both the state, but also wider, often meta- and para-state, agents. In different locations, states and contexts, the precarity experienced by migrant workers and their families highlights the porosity of the formal rational legal state and moreover, in the current economic context, the compatibility of illegality and state sponsored neoliberal economic policies. Research limitations/implications It is important to extend this study to other geographic and political economy spaces. Practical implications The study challenges the limits of state agency suggesting the need for extra state, i.e. civil society, participation to support and defend migrant workers. Originality/value Notwithstanding the two very different socio-economic contexts, the paper reveals that the interaction, dependence and restructuring of migrant labour markets can be understood within the context of meta- and para-state activities that link neoliberal employment insecurities. Migrants’ experiences illustrate the extent to which even formal legal employment relations can also be sustained by para- and meta- (illegal and alegal) actions and institutions.

scholarly journals MODERN SLAVERY IN FISHING INDUSTRY: THE NEED TO STRENGTHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Aryuni Yuliantiningsih
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
International Cooperation ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Fishing Industry ◽  
Migrant Labour ◽  
Enforcement Policy ◽  
Modern Slavery ◽  
Fishing Sector ◽  
Market State

<span lang="EN-GB">The global fishing industry supports the livelihoods of millions, however, it adversely allows the occurrence of crimes throughout the value chain, especially modern slavery.  This research aims to examine the current existence of slavery in the fishing industry for the state to determine the best way to deal with its repeated occurrence. Studies show that slavery still exists due to the vulnerability of the fishing sector. These include the prolonged timeframe on</span><span lang="EN-GB">board which prevents the crew from leaving the vessel, poor working conditions, the long-hours associated with the catching process, lack of access to authorities, use of foreign flags to create barriers to the law enforcement, use of migrant labour lacking representation and </span><span>the </span><span lang="EN-GB">lack of governmental oversight or support</span><span lang="EN-GB">. This research states that it is important to combat modern slavery by strengthening law enforcement, policy, and international cooperation between States, by involving the </span><span>s</span><span lang="EN-GB">ource, flag, coastal, port, trade and market State</span><span>s</span><span lang="EN-GB"> based on international and national law</span>

Slicing and Dicing Work in the Australian Horticulture Industry: Labour Market Segmentation within the Temporary Migrant Workforce

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-271
Author(s):  
Joanna Howe ◽  
Alex Reilly ◽  
Stephen Clibborn ◽  
Diane van den Broek ◽  
Chris F Wright
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Market Segmentation ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Significant Contribution ◽  
Migrant Labour ◽  
Temporary Migrant ◽  
Labour Market Segmentation ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Labour Standards ◽  
Precarious Jobs

This article exposes how disparity in the immigration rules of different visas combines with poor enforcement of labour standards to produce a segmented labour market in the Australian horticulture industry. We argue that the precarious work norms of the horticulture industry result in a ‘demand’ on the part of employers for harvest workers to perform precarious jobs. Such demand has been met by the workers supplied through different segments of temporary migrant labour who may be a particularly attractive form of precarious labour because of the conditionalities they experience as a result of their visa class. Our analysis demonstrates that not only do growers make preferences between local and temporary migrant workers, but they also make preferences between different types of temporary migrant workers. In identifying segmentation between temporary migrant workers on different visa categories, the article makes a significant contribution to the labour market segmentation literature, which hitherto has focused on segmentation between migrant workers and non-migrant workers.

scholarly journals Migrant Labour and Workers' Struggles: The German Meatpacking Industry as Contested Terrain

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Birke ◽  
Felix Bluhm
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Meat Industry ◽  
Labour Process ◽  
Migrant Labour ◽  
Legal Frameworks ◽  
Economic Boom ◽  
The One ◽  
Industrial Cleaning

This article summarises results of a project whose aim was to analyse the role of migration within the current recomposition of the working class in Germany. We focus on the example of the meat industry in the Oldenburger Münsterland, a region that is experiencing a strong economic boom based on the expansion and modernisation of industrial work. The exploitation of migrant labour, composed of “newcomers” to the industry with both European Union and refugee backgrounds, is a pivotal feature of that boom. Most research on migrant labour focuses on legal frameworks and labour market dynamics. By focusing instead on the labour process, we are able to examine the connections between exploitation, resistance and collective organisation among migrant workers. We show that the experience of migrant workers is not one of complete powerlessness and subjugation. We contrast workers in two sub-sectors, slaughtering and packing on the one hand and industrial cleaning on the other. Although both of these activities are similarly low-wage and migrant-dominated, we find variation in the ability of these workers to exercise power. The importance of skill and the need to avoid turnover gives workers in slaughtering and packing some levers of power, despite their vulnerable immigration status. This power has even instigated a shift towards some formalisation of these jobs on the part of management. In contrast, the different labour process has prevented industrial cleaning workers from accessing the same levels of power, despite sharing a similar labour market position to their co-workers in slaughtering and packing. KEY WORDS: Migration; refugees; labor unrest; trade unions; subcontracting; meat industry

scholarly journals Migrant Labour during the Pandemic: A Political Economy Perspective

2021 ◽  
pp. 001946622110212
Author(s):  
Deepak K. Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Current Crisis ◽  
Capitalist Development ◽  
Working Classes ◽  
Migrant Labour ◽  
Cheap Labour ◽  
The One

This article aims to analyse the plight of the migrant workers in India during the Covid 19 pandemic from a political economy perspective. While taking note of the disruptions and uncertainties during the drastic lockdown that was announced suddenly, it is argued that the vulnerabilities of the migrant labour force are deeply embedded in the long-term changes in the political economy of development in India. These changes, on the one hand, have resulted in the gradual weakening of state support to the working classes, and on the other, have resulted in the normalisation of ‘cheap labour’ as a legitimate objective of neoliberal capitalist development. Locating the conditions of the migrant working class on the specificities of the manifold restructuring of the Indian economy under neoliberal globalisation, the study attempts to emphasise the structural dimensions of the current crisis faced by the migrant labourers. JEL Codes: J46, J61, O15, O17, P16

scholarly journals Fisheries: A Missing Link in Greenhouse Gas Emission Policies in South Korea

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 5858
Author(s):  
Kyumin Kim ◽  
Do-Hoon Kim ◽  
Yeonghye Kim
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Bioeconomic Model ◽  
Negative Externalities ◽  
Fishing Vessel ◽  
Gas Emission ◽  
Fishing Vessels ◽  
The Government ◽  
Different Levels

Recent studies demonstrate that fisheries are massive contributors to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The average Korean fishing vessel is old, fuel-inefficient, and creates a large volume of emissions. Yet, there is little research on how to address the GHG emissions in Korean fisheries. This study estimated the change in GHG emissions and emission costs at different levels of fishing operations using a steady-state bioeconomic model based on the case of the Anchovy Tow Net Fishery (ATNF) and the Large Purse Seine Fishery (LPSF). We conclude that reducing the fishing efforts of the ATNF and LPSF by 37% and 8% respectively would not only eliminate negative externalities on the anchovy and mackerel stock respectively, but also mitigate emissions and emission costs in the fishing industry. To limit emissions, we propose that the Korean government reduce fishing efforts through a vessel-buyback program and set an annual catch limit. Alternatively, the government should provide loans for modernizing old fishing vessels or a subsidy for installing emission abatement equipment to reduce the excessive emissions from Korean fisheries.

Ghana’s Experience in Distant-Water Fisheries

1973 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 2463-2467 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. N. N. Adjetey
Keyword(s):  
African State ◽  
Spare Parts ◽  
West African ◽  
Fishing Industry ◽  
Constant Attention ◽  
Fishing Vessels ◽  
Exploitation And Utilization ◽  
West African State ◽  
Frozen Fish ◽  
Fish And Fishery Products

Ghana’s investment in a modern fishing industry includes fishing vessels of various ranges and sizes, costing over £25.6 million. There have also been heavy investments in infrastructure, such as the Tema fishing harbor, boatbuilding, cold storage, and repair and maintenance facilities. These investments were made to: improve the protein content of the Ghanaian diet; stop importation of frozen fish and fishery products; develop the skills of the fishing community; develop an export trade in fish.Efficient use of these investments has been hampered by various factors. Transition from a canoe to a sophisticated fishery of refrigerated trawlers and factory ships was too rapid. It was assumed that once the fishing industry was equipped with a modern fleet it would become self-supporting within a short time. But this was not the case because realization of this goal depended on: efficiency with which the fleet was operated, better handling and care of fish, better marketing and distribution methods, search for new grounds, and constant attention to conservation of stocks.Lack of finance made operation of the fleet difficult. Spare parts were not in adequate supply and at times vessels had to stop fishing for lack of them.Lack of local personnel led to dependence on alien captains, mates, engineers, and shore-based staff. The number of alien crew was high initially, but Ghanaians have gradually taken over key positions on the vessels.Ghana is the only West African state with a fleet of deep-sea trawlers. This situation and recent unilateral extensions of fishing limits by West African states have led to a new problem which might have far-reaching effects on the operation of the fleet.But Ghana’s attempt to participate in the exploitation and utilization of West African fishery resources should encourage other African states to similar efforts.

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