NGOs, Labour Organisations and Labourers Protest and Ask Governor for Help With Labour Rights Abuses

 | Tue 3 May 2016 07:42 ICT

CityNews – 120 workers in the North of Thailand have delivered a document to the Chiang Mai Governor asking for help related to labour rights abuses.

Labour rights protest 1

On May 2, workers and representatives from a large number of NGOs and labour rights organisations visited City Hall to deliver a document asking to help improve labourer rights and prevent abuses to the Chiang Mai Governor.

Representing organisations included the North Workers Network, MAP Foundation for the Health and Knowledge of Ethnic Labour, The Human Rights and Development Foundation, EMPOWER, MPLUS, Women’s League of Burma WLB (SWAN), Shan Youth Power (SYP), Migrant Worker Federation, Worker Solidarity Association, Labour Rights Promotion Network Foundation, The Industries Garment Relation Labour Union(IQRU), Gems and Jewelry Trade Union Relations, Migrant Workers Right Network (MWRN), Work At Home Group, Gabfai Community Theatre Group, The Mekong Migration Network (MMN), and the Homenet Thailand Association.

After assessing the status of labour rights in the north of Thailand, research shows that labour unions are often prevented from expanding, and most labourers fail to get legal protection when abused. Working safety, lack of translation for foreign labourers and the forceful signing of documents in Thai were all issues that were found to affect most labourers in the study.

Other labourer privileges such as social security and healthcare were often denied too. Most labourers were also not provided any training before they begin working.

As a result, the organisations and labourers who attended City Hall have delivered a document with the following requests:

  1. Appoint members of the government to regularly follow up employers who employ labourers, and check they have contracts for each of their workers, and that the contract adheres to labour laws.
  2. Reduce the paperwork and difficulty involved when applying and giving licences for labourer registration.
  3. Asking the government to support International Labour Organisation’s recommended policies no 87, 98 and 189.
  4. Increasing minimum wage to 412 baht a day.
  5. That all employees are correctly protected under current labour laws.
  6. Allow labourers to work until the age of 60.
  7. Every labourer is provided social security.

City Hall has received the document and it will be presented to the relevant committees for evaluation.