Organizer: The Indonesia Project, Australian National University (ANU)
Type/Location: Hybrid / Canberra, Australia
Description:
Join the Indonesia Project at the Australian National University for a talk by Michele Ford, Professor of Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Sydney, and Benni Hasbiyalloh, lecturer in International Relations at Paramadina University. This webinar will assess the impact of the doctrine of maritime exceptionalism in the world’s largest archipelagic state.
Abstract:
Responding to the complex nature of work at sea, international organizations and national governments have set industry-specific standards for seafarers and fishers underpinned by the doctrine of maritime exceptionalism, which holds that the distinct needs and exceptional nature of sea-based work necessitate specialized rules and agreements. Drawing on a close analysis of Indonesia's regulatory framework and 137 interviews with government officials, labour unionists and NGO activists at the national level and in five port cities, this article assesses the impact of this doctrine in the world's largest archipelagic state. It demonstrates how maritime exceptionalism has created jurisdictional uncertainty and inter-agency competition among Indonesia's Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Ministry of Transportation, and Ministry of Manpower, resulting in fragmented oversight of employment contracts, wage-setting mechanisms, occupational safety standards, and dispute resolution processes. The analysis reveals that, while commercial fishing poses genuine difficulties for regulators focused on land-based systems of production, industry-specific standards can engender jurisdictional uncertainty and inter-agency competition, which ultimately hinder sea-based workers' capacity to access their labour rights.
About the Speakers:
Michele Ford is a Professor of Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Sydney. Her research focuses on topics related to labour activism and work. Her current research projects focus on labour relations in Indonesia’s commercial fishing industry, gender-based violence in Cambodia’s construction industry and disability and work in Timor-Leste.
Benni Hasbiyalloh is a lecturer in International Relations at Paramadina University and PhD Candidate at the University of Sydney. His research focuses on fisheries labour rights, migration, trafficking, and forced labour in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. He has published extensively on labour exploitation, migrant worker organising, and maritime governance.
Registration:
To attend the event in person, please register here.
To attend the event virtually, please join the zoom meeting here.