Migrant Worker Protest Ongoing At Thai Company

More than 900 Burmese migrant workers at the Dechapanich Fishing Net Factory in Khon Kaen, northeast Thailand, have again protested against the company, saying documents were being withheld from some workers, according to the Thailand-based NGO, Migrant Assistance Program Foundation (MAP).

peaking to The Irrawaddy on Friday, Sutthithong Khong Khaphon, a legal rights coordinator from MAP, said, “Tension and disappointment among the workers has increased because the Thai employer refused to give back all their [workers'] documents despite having agreed to do so.”

The company gave 569 workers their documents after a two-week strike for improved rights ended on Sept. 15 with a settlement between the two sides, but the workers have refused to leave the factory compound.

The migrant workers say that 379 workers have not yet had their documents returned.

“If the employer fails to return all the workers' documents, we need to sue them [Dechapanich] as they agreed in front of the authorities to give them back,” Sutthithong said.

MAP said they have sent one lawyer and a member of staff to Khon Kaen yesterday to watch the situation as they fear current tension may lead to rights violations and worker exploitation.

Amid mounting tension, Dechapanich issued two statements yesterday ordering the 569 Burmese migrant workers who have already received documents to leave the factory, threatening them with legal action if they refused.

“They issued two statements threatening to sue us under current Thai law if we did not leave the factory by 5 p.m. On Thursday, but we paid no attention,” said Maung San, a representative of the migrant workers.

On Sept. 25, the 569 workers requested the company to give them recommendation letters permitting them to leave, allowing them to apply for other jobs, but the workers have not received these letters.

“It is important we show these letters to prospective employers, because if we don't have them, we cannot apply for jobs with other companies,” he said.

Maung Myint, another leader among the migrant workers, said, “We decide to leave this company after we got our salaries and all our personal documents.”

The workers said they have not yet been paid about 3,000 baht [US $100] owing from last month that they requested before they leave the company, adding that the company had told them on Thursday to collect their money from Thai immigration at Khon Kaen.

“They told us to get our salary at the immigration office, but we refused to go there as we were not working there,” Maung San said, adding that they should be paid by the people they worked for at the place where they worked.”

Though Dechapanich agreed after the protest to give all Burmese migrant workers in the factory 157 baht [about $5] a day, the same sum paid to Thai workers, the workers said they are worried they will get paid less than Thai workers again.