The fourth hearing in the You-Fu civil case will take place at the Pingtung District Court, Taiwan, on 9 June 2026. The hearing marks an important stage in the proceedings, as the court is expected to move into substantive arguments on the key legal issues in dispute.
The case was brought by eight Indonesian migrant fishers who worked aboard the Taiwan-flagged distant-water fishing vessel You-Fu between 2023 and 2024. The plaintiffs seek unpaid wage differentials under Taiwan’s Labour Standards Act (LSA) and damages arising from alleged forced labour conditions.
The litigation challenges Taiwan’s long-standing exclusion in practice of offshore-hired migrant fishers from the labour protections afforded to other workers under the LSA. As such, it is the first court case to directly test whether migrant fishers employed abroad and working aboard Taiwan-flagged distant-water fishing vessels are entitled to the same minimum wage protections as Taiwanese fishers performing the same work.
Key Issues Before the Court
At the third hearing on 31 March 2026, the court focused on two principal issues that will now proceed to substantive argument.
The first is whether offshore-hired migrant fishers working on Taiwan-flagged distant-water fishing vessels fall within the scope of the LSA. The plaintiffs argue that they were employed aboard a Taiwan-flagged vessel and therefore performed work subject to Taiwan’s legal jurisdiction.
The second issue concerns the plaintiffs’ claim that the conditions they experienced, including prolonged wage withholding, confiscation of identity documents, excessive working hours, and inadequate food and drinking water, constituted forced labour and gave rise to civil liability for violations of their personal rights.
Why This Case Matters
The outcome of the case will have implications beyond the eight claimant fishers. It raises broader questions about equal treatment and labour protection for migrant workers in Taiwan’s distant-water fishing sector, as well as Taiwan’s commitment to extending equivalent labour rights protections to migrant fishers.
Hearing Information
Date: 9 June 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 4:10 PM Taiwan time
Venue: Pingtung District Court, Taiwan
