December 14th, 2006, 05:49
LABOUR SURVEY - THE NATION
Migrant workers \'often locked up\'
Report reveals exploitation and physical abuse of foreigners by Thai employers
A report into migrant labour says employers believe imported workers do not deserve the same rights as Thais. The study published yesterday said employers restricted movement of their migrant staff, including locking them up at night. These and other troubling findings are included in the report \"The Mekong Challenge - Underpaid, Overworked and Overlooked: The realities of young migrant workers in Thailand\".
It was conducted by the Institute for Population and Social Research at Mahidol University with the support of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). It examines the exploitation of migrant labour and is part of a series on human trafficking and labour migration in the Greater Mekong Subregion. The report said 60 per cent of domestic workers were forbidden from leaving their workplaces. Restriction of movement was imposed on 43 per cent of workers in the agriculture, fishing and manufacturing sectors. Employers guaranteed their migrant staff could not go anywhere by confiscating identity cards.
Most migrant workers involved in the study were from Burma. There were a small number of labourers from Laos and Cambodia. The survey was conducted between February and October last year. Almost 700 workers in Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon, Chiang Mai and Tak were interviewed.
Full article http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/12 ... 021508.php (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/12/14/national/national_30021508.php)
Migrant workers \'often locked up\'
Report reveals exploitation and physical abuse of foreigners by Thai employers
A report into migrant labour says employers believe imported workers do not deserve the same rights as Thais. The study published yesterday said employers restricted movement of their migrant staff, including locking them up at night. These and other troubling findings are included in the report \"The Mekong Challenge - Underpaid, Overworked and Overlooked: The realities of young migrant workers in Thailand\".
It was conducted by the Institute for Population and Social Research at Mahidol University with the support of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). It examines the exploitation of migrant labour and is part of a series on human trafficking and labour migration in the Greater Mekong Subregion. The report said 60 per cent of domestic workers were forbidden from leaving their workplaces. Restriction of movement was imposed on 43 per cent of workers in the agriculture, fishing and manufacturing sectors. Employers guaranteed their migrant staff could not go anywhere by confiscating identity cards.
Most migrant workers involved in the study were from Burma. There were a small number of labourers from Laos and Cambodia. The survey was conducted between February and October last year. Almost 700 workers in Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon, Chiang Mai and Tak were interviewed.
Full article http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/12 ... 021508.php (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/12/14/national/national_30021508.php)