论美国联邦法院对承认及执行菲律宾船员劳动争议仲裁裁决的司法态度
2018-09-10王彦斌
摘要:通过对美国联邦法院近年针对承认及执行菲律宾船员劳动争议仲裁裁决案件的介绍和分析,总结了联邦法院对此议题的司法态度:包括维护联邦法院的管辖权、
慎用公共政策原则、强调船员供养和医疗福利待遇的充足性以及重视仲裁程序的细节等。同时也阐明了菲律宾船员尝试突破仲裁裁决的技巧和可能选择的路径。最后指出联邦法院对此议题的态度仍然可能会因个案的具体情况有所变化,并提出因应之道。
关键词:仲裁裁决;《纽约公约》;承认及执行;《琼斯法》
中图分类号:DF961.9文献标志码:A
文章编号:2096028X(2018)03007909
The position of the United States Federal Courts on the recognition and enforcement
of the arbitral awards concerning Philippine crew members labor disputes
—from the perspective of the recent Federal Courts decisionsWANG Yanbin
(China P&I Services (Hong Kong) Ltd.,Hong Kong 999077,China)
Abstract:The paper introduces and analyzes U.S. Federal Courts decisions on the recognition and enforcement of the arbitral awards concerning the Philippine crew members labor disputes in recent years. The Courts positions are summarized in the paper as follows: confirming the U.S. Federal Courts jurisdiction; applying public policy under narrow circumstances; underlying the maintenance and cure; emphasizing the details of the arbitration and/or settlement procedure. Further, the paper finds out the Philippine crew members maneuvers to evade the binding arbitration award. Finally, the paper points out that the U.S. Federal Courts may change their position on case by case basis and suggests riskprevention measures to the owners and operators who have hired or are going to hire the crew members from the Philippines.
Key words:arbitration award;New York Convention;recognition and enforcement;Jones Act
菲律宾是全球最大的船员输出国家:根据菲律宾劳动和就业部(Department of Labor and Employment)的统计数据,菲律宾的船员数量在全球150万海员中占比超过25%。在任何特定时间,在世界各地运营的商船上均有近 229 000名菲律宾船员在进行工作。
菲律宾成为最大船员输出国的因素既有菲律宾船员较高的英文水平,也离不开菲律宾政府大力发展船员劳务输出的努力:不仅起步早,从1901年就开始向外输出船员;其在劳务输出管理方面,也形成了一套卓有成效的制度和组织架构,形成了较为完善的劳务输出法律、法规體系。但从另外一个角度来说,由于菲律宾船员外派体系较为成熟,劳工组织发达,菲律宾船员英文水平高,熟悉或有渠道了解相关国家(如船旗国等)法律(如通过菲律宾海外劳工法律协助办公室),维权意识强,利用法律武器经验丰富,为了在劳动争议纠纷中获得更高的赔偿, 往往会在多法域(尤以美国为著例)展开法律行动,以突破菲律宾国内劳动仲裁裁决的限制,使其雇主或船东陷于不利局面,蒙受额外的经济损失。……
