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Impediments to free movement of Chinese seafarers in the maritime labour market

Author

Listed:
  • Zhiwei Zhao

    (Dalian Maritime University, China; University of Southern Denmark, Denmark)

  • David Walters

    (Cardiff University, UK)

  • Desai Shan

    (Dalhousie University, Canada)

Abstract

With economic reform, in China, labour turnover of seafarers became more possible. However, little attention has been paid to its consequences. A limited literature indicates that Chinese seafarers may leave state-owned enterprises to become freelance seafarers, working in the global labour market for better wages and employment conditions. There have been predictions of a substantial increase in seafarer export, with China becoming the top labour supplier to the global maritime industry. However, such expectations have been largely unmet. Through 157 qualitative interviews with seafarers and managers in Chinese ship crewing agencies, we explore some reasons why this may be so. The findings suggest that Chinese seafarers are in fact limited in their willingness and ability to leave their companies. This is due to a complex mixture of organisational, regulatory, infrastructural and personal contexts that are their everyday experience of work in China. Analysis further suggests that the underdevelopment of a national regulatory infrastructure and welfare support mechanism for seafarers, along with poor implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, combine to limit the extent of the reform of the Chinese seafaring labour market. Together, these factors help to explain why China’s seafaring labour export has been far lower than anticipated. JEL Codes: D40, E24, F66, J61, J83

Suggested Citation

  • Zhiwei Zhao & David Walters & Desai Shan, 2020. "Impediments to free movement of Chinese seafarers in the maritime labour market," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 31(3), pages 425-443, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecolab:v:31:y:2020:i:3:p:425-443
    DOI: 10.1177/1035304620937881
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bin Wu, 2004. "Participation in the global labour market: experience and responses of chinese seafarers," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(1), pages 69-82, January.
    2. Zhiwei Zhao & Jørgen Riis Jepsen & Lijun Tang, 2016. "The reform of Chinese state-owned ship crewing agencies and implications for China’s seafaring labour export," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(6), pages 737-747, August.
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    6. K. X. Li & J. Wonham, 1999. "Who mans the world fleet? A follow-up to the BIMCO/ ISF manpower survey," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(3), pages 295-303.
    7. Lijun Tang & Mark Oliver S. Llangco & Zhiwei Zhao, 2016. "Transformations and continuities of issues related to Chinese participation in the global seafarers’ labour market," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(3), pages 344-355, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Bin Wu & Glory Gu & Chris James Carter, 2021. "The bond and retention of Chinese seafarers for international shipping companies: a survey report," Journal of Shipping and Trade, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 1-17, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Chinese seafarers; labour turnover; seafaring labour export; seafaring labour market reform;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D40 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - General
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • F66 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization - - - Labor
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J83 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Workers' Rights

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