Myanmar, Cambodia probe labour abuse claims

Migrant workers' protests misguided, say bosses 

Published: 23/04/2012

Writer: Achara Ashayagachat 

Bangkok Post 

Myanmar and Cambodian officials have been monitoring the working conditions of migrant workers from their countries following pre-Songkran protests at seafood processing factories in Kanchanaburi and Songkhla.

While information from various sources indicated the protest at Vita Food Factory (1989) Co Ltd in Kanchanaburi might have stemmed from poor working conditions, the company's management insisted it was caused by workers' misunderstanding of the new minimum wage.

Patcharawadee Tangcharoenchaichana, co-owner of the factory, denied workers had been mistreated or that their wages were sub-par.

Vita Food's human resources manager Somphop Thirasas said the pre-Songkran protest stemmed from misunderstandings by some migrant workers.

Their first pay cheque in April still had their normal 181 baht daily wage for hours worked the prior month, but the workers thought they should be paid the new rate of 252 baht per day.

"The new rate will be applied from April 1, meaning the workers will get the new rate later this month and not early this month. It's only about a miscommunication and there were no serious protests or harassment as reported," Mr Somphop said.

Under government policy, the new daily minimum wage of 300 baht took effect on April 1 in Bangkok and six other other provinces _ Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Phuket, and Pathum Thani. Workers in other parts of the country saw their wages rise by 40% on April 1 and they will be increased incrementally to 300 baht a day by 2013.

Mr Somphop said his factory employs about 3,000 Thais and 2,000 Myanmar workers who are legally registered.

But Myanmar deputy labour minister Myint Thein said on Thursday there are about 3,000 registered workers and 700 more undocumented workers at the Kanchanaburi factory.

Vita Food, a privately owned company, and another listed firm, River Kwai International Food Industry Co, are the two leading food processing companies in Kanchanaburi. Together they employ nearly 20,000 workers, most of them migrants, industry sources said.

The Myanmar labour sources claimed minors under 15 years are also employed at the factories because they worked quickly and were diligent.

A Myanmar worker who ran away after the pre-Songkran strike told local labour activists he had been sold by a Myanmar broker to work at Vita Food after being forced to work aboard a fishing boat and later at a compact disc factory in Ayutthaya.

Of Vita Food's 485 export shipments last year, 356 went to Walmart Stores under its "Great Value" brand, according to Change to Win, a coalition of American labour unions.

In the Songkhla case, a strike took place at Phatthana Seafood Co after management there cut food and bonuses for workers citing the minimum wage increase.

Phattana Seafood hired thousands of workers from Cambodia through a state recruitment firm, CDM Manpower, and employs fewer Myanmar workers.

According to local media reports and explanations from Cambodian and Myanmar embassy officials, the workers agreed to accept the new wage of 266 baht a day from the earlier rate of 177 baht.

During the protest the company allegedly confiscated the workers' identification documents but promised to return them this week.

Myanmar labour attache Kyaw Lyaw Lwin and embassy officials were in the southern province this weekend to monitor the situation.

Phattana Seafood's managing director, Paiboon Dussadeevutikul, could not be reached for comment.

However, Myanmar's deputy labour minister, Myint Thein, said Mr Paiboon had expressed surprise when hearing about the passport confiscation and other poor treatment when the two met in the town of Mahachai, in Samut Sakhon, on Wednesday.

"He was concerned about the reports and promised to check the situation. We will also try to monitor the situations in both the Kanchanaburi or Songkhla cases until the end," Myint Thein said.

Walmart, meanwhile, informed American labour rights advocacy group Making Change at Walmart on Thursday that it would investigate "reports of potential violations of our ethical sourcing policy at Phatthana Seafood".