MWRN blasts ‘woefully insufficient’ TTIA, as Golden Prize workers strike

MWRN blasts ‘woefully insufficient’ TTIA, as Golden Prize workers strike
Credit: MWRN

Over 1,500 Golden Prize migrant workers turned out in force Wednesday to protest, as their employers rejected negotiations to end a long-running labour dispute over employee mistreatment.
It had been hoped that the tuna canning factory and shop floor personnel -- predominantly from Myanmar -- could reach some sort of resolution by Nov.11, as requested by the Thai Tuna Industry Association (TTIA).
But such aims have fallen short, with TTIA head ChanintrChalisarapong saying that despite its efforts, the group had "failed to solve the problem" and "we ask the Migrant Workers Rights Network (MWRN) to seek justice from Thai authorities and justice".
"Any outcome from them, TTIA will follow according to our rules and regulations," he added.
The TTIA's response failed to impress Andy Hall, an activist for migrants' rights working with MRWN.
Speaking to Undercurrent News from outside the gates of Golden Prize's Bangkok plant -- where he said the police and military had moved in to quell the protest -- he decried Chalisarapong's response as "disrespectful" and "woefully insufficient".
"Look, we've been in these negotiations with TTIA for over four months to kick out groups like Golden Prize, which have done so little to improve workers' rights, but nothing has been done," said Hall, who tweeted real-time pictures of protesters at the facility.
His response is of little surprise. MWRN has so far been unimpressed with TTIA's efforts in easing the deadlock.
That includes negotiations, which took place on Nov.7, after which TTIA sent an eight-point letter to Golden Prize on Monday, requesting a response by Nov. 11. In it, TTIA sought a settlement of the dispute, which has been ongoing since July.
The letter demanded:
That workers are paid the THB 300 minimum wage, which entered into force April 1, 2012; workers reportedly only began receiving this wage in late 2014, so are owed a significant back payment. MWRN found this out through interviews with workers, and through analyzing the company's own records.
The repayment of each worker's THB 6,000, unlawfully deducted 6,000 from salaries for passport purchases which workers never received.
Workers are refunded significant overcharges made at Golden Prize's HR office for work permit documents.
The developments at Golden Prize will no doubt upset TTIA, as Chalisarapong has gone above and beyond to emphasize the amount of work done in Thai fisheries since it was kept on Tier 3 in the US Trafficking in Persons report in 2015, and yellow-carded by the EU – particularly stressing the TTIA and tuna sector had not suffered from much of the issues noted.
Speaking at Friend of the Sea's One to One Meeting 2015 conference, held in Bangkok - where Golden Prize is based - Chalisarapong reiterated this message, saying that the TTIA "was open to all private auditors" and that "if any Thai tuna firm was break to the law, when it comes to workers' rights abuses, we would punish them".
"We have between 50 to 60,000 workers from Myanmar in our industry, who we pay each between $400- 500 a month," he told delegates. "That's better than many countries in the world. They send $200-250 to their families back home. It doesn’t sound a lot, but that can feed an entire family in Myanmar."
Chalisarapong also urged NGOs to join the TTIA and "take care of our workers", highlighting his body's attempts to set up a joint committee for social security welfare for migrant workers.
However, MRWN -- which also sent video footage alleging improper use of military personnel to intimidate workers at the Golden Prize tuna factory on the weekend during the talks -- believes the TTIA has fallen well short in its efforts to keep a lid on the situation.
"We've provided payslips and internal documents displaying evidence of workers being underpaid, and they've done nothing," said Hall. "They don't have a sufficient audit system in place. We also reject the idea that it's up to us now to resolve the dispute. It's not up to NGOs - it's up to all of us."