Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo instructed the Philippine Embassy in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea to exert all efforts in resolving the brewing labor dispute between RD Tuna Ventures, Inc., a Philippine-owned tuna-canning company, and the fishermen employed by the company’s tuna fish supplier. Secretary Romulo, who is accompanying President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on her State Visit to China, also directed Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Jose Brillantes to follow closely the assistance being extended to the Filipino fishermen and to report to him on any developments.

Pursuant to the instructions, Philippine Ambassador to Papua New Guinea Ambassador Bienvenido Tejano, accompanied by the Embassy legal officer Atty. Hermoso Bellarmino, yesterday went to Madang, Papua New Guinea to make representations with the company owners and begin talks with some 150 Filipino fishermen, led by Boat Captain Angelito Abastas, who were aboard ten of RD Tuna’s Philippine-registered fishing vessels and refused to perform their assigned tasks.

Undersecretary Brillantes said “Ambassador Tejano’s instructions are to talk to the Filipino fishermen to return to work and begin the process of resolving the labor dispute with the ship owner and RD Tuna Ventures, Inc.” In accordance with the Secretary’s instructions, Undersecretary Brillantes is closely monitoring the situation to ensure that talks go smoothly. The Undersecretary has also sought the assistance of the Maritime Industry Authority of the Philippines in resolving this case.

“Our goal of course is for the peaceful settlement of this labor dispute and for the repatriation of the Filipino fishermen who wish to return to the Philippines. To do this, our Embassy in Port Moresby is closely coordinating with the local authorities. This labor dispute is between Filipino nationals and Filipino corporations that occurred aboard Philippine-flagged fishing vessels. For this reason, Philippine laws will be applied in resolving this labor dispute,” Undersecretary Brillantes added.

On 29 August 2004, the DFA received a report from Ambassador Tejano that 150 Filipino fishermen cut the moorings of 10 Philippine-registered fishing vessels of RD Tuna and have brought these vessels out to sea, within the territorial waters of Papua New Guinea. The report added that the Filipino fishermen took this action by way of expressing employment-related grievances.

RD Tuna has maintained its stand that the Filipino fishermen are considered local hires and not overseas Filipino workers and hence their actions should be covered by the Philippine Labor Code. The Filipino-owned RD Tuna Ventures, Inc., which has its tuna canning operations in Papua New Guinea, is the largest cannery in the Pacific.

In the light of the contentious circumstances of the striking fishermen, Undersecretary Brillantes said the DFA remains committed to exerting all efforts to extend assistance to them and is willing to make arrangements for their repatriation to the Philippines.