gastarbeiters

Most countries, especially developed ones, rely to some degree on exploiting the labour of the less fortunate. These people are normally foreigners, and almost always from poorer countries. Britain has/had the Poles, Russian the Central Asians and Moldovans, and the US the Mexicans. But everywhere has the Filipinos. It is estimated that 10 million out of a population of 90 million work abroad. There are estimated to be 300,000 of them in Hong Kong alone. They are cleaners and nannies for the better off in Singapore, Dubai and across Europe and the Middle East. And, along with Indonesians, they are the staff of practically every ship I have ever been on. When our boat docked in Manila, there was nearly a riot. Hundreds of people were waiting for us, or rather, for their relatives on our ship. Docking in Manila is a big deal for the crew, and the only time in nine months they get to see their families. As we are waiting for customs clearance, the crew are all visibly nervous. When they disembark, all seem to be carrying some large technology item: plazma TVs seem the most popular, but one guy was wheeling a fridge about. D, one of the bar staff aboard has been living on the boat for 8 years, and was on another boat before that. He claims the crew are all recruited by an agency in Manila, and shipped out to sea that way. They work 10 hours a day for 7 days a week for 9 months of the year. In most cities they dock in, they are not even allowed off the boat, other than for an hour or so before dinner. The other 3 months of the year are spent at home in the Philippines with their families, who are supported by their salaries. D claims in the three months he spends back in Manila, he does absolutely nothing (“I am as active as a tree there”), and when the break period is over, he is flown back to whatever port the ship is in. and he fully intends to continue working like this until he retires, in several decades time. His logic is clear: if he stayed at home, he would be able to watch his children grow up, but not be able to do anything to help them. By working abroad, he can send them to better schools and one day university. “As long as they are having a better life, I don’t need to see them” goes his argument. The logic is commendable and I am sure whatever wages these guys are paid must make the sacrifices worth it. Yet it is sad that the ship follows a sort of GDP pecking order. None of the Filipino crew hold management positions. The middle level crew members are from random developing countries: Chile, Turkey, India. They get the whole day free in port, and work a much more flexible schedule for higher pay. The “European” staff (British, Serbian, South African and tons of Poles) do better still, appearing to be largely on holiday most of the time. All considered, it is amazing that the Filipinos never seem resentful. I would be.