22 years of working but still have not signed a long-term contract
Having been involved in fisheries inspection for 17 years, Mr. Ta Quang Thang (from Yen Thanh district, Nghe An province) shared: "Every year, we are signed a labor contract by the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Control of Nghe An province for a term of 1 year, with social insurance contributions, with an average salary of about 7 million VND/month. The salary is paid from the aquaculture resource protection source according to the agreement between the employee and the Department. The work is unstable, we just go to work this year but we don't know what next year will be like."
Mr. Nguyen Huu Hao (from Nghi Loc district) - who has been attached to the fishing boat for 22 years - said that the fishing force enforces the law at sea, regularly checking and chasing violators. When violations are detected, the form of punishment is strict, so in many cases, resistance is fierce and very dangerous. Operating in stormy conditions, loud excavators but workers are not entitled to toxic or dangerous regimes. After many years of working, the policies and working conditions of the brothers still have many disadvantages and shortages.
Accompanying important forces in law enforcement, especially in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, contributing to removing the "yellow card" of the European Union (EC), but for many years, the labor force on the two fishing vessels of Nghe An province has not yet had a stable regime.
Up to now, 10 workers working in fisheries control, including captains, deputy captains, chief engineers, mechanics, fishermen, etc., have only signed annual contracts according to Decree 111/2022/ND-CP; salaries paid from the source of aquatic resource protection.
Hope to resolve the regime
The Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Control of Nghe An province currently has 2 fishing vessels and 2 high-speed canoes. To work on fishing vessels, workers must be in good health to travel at sea for a long time, understand the channel, waves, machinery, special equipment and have experience in handling situations at sea.
Each patrol and control trip usually lasts 4-5 days to cover the entire area; food and living activities take place on the train. On days when they are not at sea, the brothers take turns on the ship.
Mr. Mai Hong Phong - Head of the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Control of Nghe An province - said that the unit was assigned 27 civil servants, 10 public employees and 6 contract workers according to Decree 111/2022/ND-CP. In recent years, 10 workers working on fishing vessels have not signed long-term labor contracts, even though they are a key force of the fisheries sector, directly performing tasks at sea to protect aquatic resources.
"We always wonder about the regime and policies for 10 workers working on fishing vessels. These are experienced people who have devoted many years to the work of protecting aquatic resources and combating IUU fishing. They have gone through different stages in the process of forming and developing fisheries control forces, but their rights and policies are not yet stable.
We really hope that this force will soon have stable policies and regimes, and be able to sign long-term labor contracts to ensure their rights, work with peace of mind, and contribute" - Mr. Mai Hong Phong said.
