Dear John,

In Thailand, millions of migrants toil in jobs that fall short of minimum international labor standards. The legal reforms to date have been insufficient to put an end to the ongoing severe exploitation of migrant workers in the country.

The explicit discrimination written into Thailand’s labor code fosters a system of structural inequality that keeps migrant workers captive and exploited throughout enormously profitable labor sectors, including in the seafood industry.

Take action: Sign our petition to call on the Prime Minister of Thailand to reform the Labor Relations Act to allow migrant workers the right to form their own unions: [link removed]

Hundreds of thousands of people from Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos work in commercial seafood processing factories, on fishing vessels, and on farms in Thailand. The seafood they catch and process is sold to international companies – this powers the Thai economy and puts food on the plates of people around the world. However, unlike Thai workers, foreign workers are, by law, explicitly denied their fundamental labor rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

The right to organize for migrant workers is particularly important during the Covid-19 pandemic. At this time, it is critical for workers to have a legal organization and legitimate representatives with whom to communicate their concerns to their employer and government authorities. Unions will help ensure that workers who are impacted by business closures or changes to orders within global supply chains are afforded with legal protection and benefits.

Last month, Thailand lost $1.3 billion in preferential trade benefits with the United States due to its refusal to make necessary legal reforms, which must start with granting migrant workers the right to organize and bargain collectively. The Seafood Working Group – a global coalition of human rights, labor, and environmental organizations led by ILRF – is now calling on ([link removed]) the U.S. State Department to downgrade Thailand in the Trafficking in Persons Report 2020 coming next month.

Please sign our petition urging the Thai government to reform national laws to allow migrant workers the right to form and lead their own unions: [link removed]

In solidarity,

Kimberly Rogovin
Senior Seafood Campaign Coordinator

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Please consider joining ILRF as a monthly donor to help sustain our ability to stand with labor rights defenders around the world: [link removed]

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