FSC

About Us

What is the Fishers’ Statutory Council all about?

The Fishers’ Statutory Council was the brainchild in pursuit of the need identified by Employers in the Fishing Industry to establish minimum conditions of employment for Fishermen and women employed on South African flagged fishing vessels. With the support of the Amalgamated Fishing Employer’s Organisation (AFEO), an application was made to establish a Council for their Employees without any support from Labour Unions.

The determination and persevered of Employers overcame many obstacles and objections presented to The Department of Labour. The Council was subsequently registered by the Registrar of Labour Relations in March 2020 in terms of section 42(a) of the Labour Relations Act as published in the Government Gazette.

At the core of the Council is an inherent understanding of challenges fisher encounter in their workplace which no other employees have to face. The Employers in the fishing industry support the need to allow for the uniqueness of each fishing sector to be recognized. It is for this reason that the Council is structured in operating within the following fishing sector Chambers:

Small Pelagics (sardine and anchovy)
Tuna pole
Tuna longline
Hake Longline
South Coast Rock Lobster
West Coast Rock Lobster (Offshore)

Employees within the Squid and Related Fisheries has set its aim on their fishing sector with their Statutory Council’s Main Agreement. Similarly the Bargaining Council for the Fishing Industry focuses on Employees in the the Hake Deepsea and Inshore Trawl Sectors in their Main Agreement.

AFEO being the only party to the Council has proved itself as the representative registered employers’ organizations. AFEO members wish to engage in the Fishers’ Council to set minimum conditions of employment in these sectors. The main function of the Council has been to attract registered trade unions to share the Employers’ passions for fair working conditions and agree to a Main Agreement for the fishers that work within the Scope of the Council.

Want to join AFEO? Contact Us

Objectives

1.

To maintain and promote economic development and labour peace in the workplace

2.

To maintain and promote the viability of the fishing industry

3.

To provide representation for micro, small and medium fishing enterprises

4.

To engage on matters of mutual interest and issues which affect or may affect the relationship between PARTIES to the COUNCIL or their members

5.

To promote support for any SETA’s training, education and development schemes relating to fishers

6.

To embark on programs to promote and strengthen the COUNCIL including but not limited to encouraging the admission of PARTIES

Structure

1.COUNCIL STRUCTURE

(1) The COUNCIL shall consist of both employer’s organisations and trade unions which are accepted as parties to the COUNCIL in terms of this Constitution

(2) A PARTY shall be allocated to a CHAMBER within the COUNCIL and be entitled to appoint representative(s) to the CHAMBER in terms of this Constitution

(3) A PARTY shall be entitled to appoint representative(s) to the SENATE of the COUNCIL in terms of this Constitution.

2.CHAMBER STRUCTURE

(1) The COUNCIL shall be structured to operate with CHAMBERS in line with the fishing sectors in terms of the scope of the COUNCIL, with the proviso that CHAMBERS may be added and/or removed and/or combined as determined by the EXECUTIVE BOARD.

(2) A COUNCIL CHAMBER, shall consist of representatives of employer’s organisation(s) and/or trade union(s) admitted as a PARTY to a specific CHAMBER where –

(a) both an employer’s organisations and trade unions each represent at least 30% (THIRTY PERCENT) of employees within a particular fishing sector; or
(b) either an employer’s organisations or trade unions respectively represents at least 60% (SIXTY PERCENT) of employers or employees, whatever the case maybe, within a particular fishing sector.

(3) All new PARTY shall be allocated to a CHAMBER on admission to the COUNCIL whilst an existing PARTY may apply to be allocated upon written application for admission to any other CHAMBER, provided that the applying PARTY is representative within the CHAMBER mutatis mutandis as stipulated for a new applying PARTY.

(4) The CHAMBER shall consist of all PARTY representatives collectively, determined as follows:

(a) Every PARTY shall be entitled to a single representative, and
(b) Additional representatives may be elected based on one representative for every 200 (TWO HUNDRED) employees represented in the CHAMBER; and
(c) The number of representatives of each CHAMBER shall be equal between employer organisation(s) and trade union(s), which may result in one PARTY having to appoint more than its single representative in order to equally balance its counterparts within the particular CHAMBER.

3.SENATE STRUCTURE

The COUNCIL SENATE shall consist of all PARTY representatives collectively which shall be determined as follows:

(a) Every PARTY shall be entitled to a single representative for every CHAMBER of the COUNCIL, to which the PARTY is appointed, and
(b) The number of representatives of each CHAMBER shall be equal between employer organisation(s) and trade union(s), which may result in one PARTY having to appoint more than its single representative in order to equally balance their counterparts within the particular CHAMBER.

Fishers’ Statutory Council