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Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo is supporting a Filipino seafarer who is leading a landmark legal battle in the Netherlands to end alleged discriminatory pay practices in the global shipping industry. 

The seafarer, who is a cook, developed a chronic neurological condition on a Dutch-owned chemical tanker.

Despite this health condition, Salo said the seafarer is bravely challenging the long-standing practice of paying Filipino and Indonesian crew members less than their European colleagues for performing the same work.

With this historic suit, the lawmaker is urging the Philippine government—specifically the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)---to explore a bilateral agreement with the Dutch government. 

“We call on the DMW and DFA to advocate for agreements guaranteeing equal pay for equal work, reflecting the principles enshrined in the International Labour Organization’s Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006,” he said in a statement Wednesday, Nov. 6.

The MLC 2006 is an international treaty that provides that national laws and regulations, developed after consulting representative shipowners' and seafarers' organizations or through collective agreements, should ensure equal remuneration for work of equal value for all seafarers employed on the same ship.

“This bilateral agreement should account for the complex realities involved, ensuring that Filipino seafarers are compensated fairly without disregarding realities in the industry, specifically those affecting the employability and competitiveness of Filipino seafarers,” added Salo.   

The Kabayan solon likewise called on the global maritime community to align with the standards set by the MLC 2006, to ensure that all seafarers can receive fair compensation and humane treatment.

“Filipino seafarers should always be accorded respect and dignity, and their rights must be protected at every port,” he said.

“We will continue to stand alongside Filipino seafarers worldwide to ensure their rights are upheld and protected,” he stressed.

Salo, who previously headed the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, also urged seafarers’ unions to consider including provisions on equal remuneration for work of equal value in their Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).