16/06/2016

Thai Union, Director-General of Employment discuss ethical migrant worker policies

Aruk Phrommanee, Director-General of the Department of Employment, met with Thai Union Group PCL (Thai Union) employees and leaders of the Migrant Worker Rights Network (MWRN) at Thai Union’s production facility here recently.

The meeting gave attendees an opportunity to present the continued development and implementation of Thai Union’s ethical migrant worker policies, such as the company’s industry leading decision to implement a zero recruitment fees policy.

Under this policy, recruitment fees for workers in factories and processing plants have been eliminated. Attendees also discussed the challenges and need to continue to develop and streamline migrant worker policies and processes.

“Open and frank discussions are important to facilitating wide-reaching change. We believe that the industry will improve through active collaboration among different stakeholders,” said Shue Chung Chan, Thai Union’s group head of human resources.

MWRN also provided an overview of its pre-departure training program held in Yangon, Myanmar for newly recruited Myanmar workers prior to commencing their work at Thai Union facilities and discussed the recent democratic election of Thai Union’s 19 member welfare committee.

MWRN and the Thai Union human resources team engaged Thai Union’s workforce in a high profile campaign to ensure democratically elected worker leaders can now more effectively represent worker concerns. They also conducted a workshop for the new committee members where they explored the work related rules and regulations, labor laws and roles and responsibilities of the welfare committee.

“Thai Union is clearly now the leader in ethical migrant worker recruitment policies and enhanced workplace social dialogue in the Thai seafood industry. Thai Union’s continued process improvements and actions, alongside stakeholders who are most important to bringing change, are a strong example for the entire industry to take note of and implement across the board,” said Andy Hall, MWRN’s international affairs advisor.