Employers and employees from fishing net factory sign an agreement

Tuesday, 14 September 2010 00:00

After pressure from employees, the employer of the fishing net factory agreed to allow migrants
to hold their temporary passports. This was the main demand made by employees during the
week-long strike that took place last week. An agreement was signed by the different parties
indicating that this coming Friday temporary passports will be handed back to the employees.

The demands made by the demonstrators include:

1.     Permission to hold temporary passports and documents

2.     Freedom to enjoy rights as sanctified by Thai labor laws

3.     Continue to employ employees who demonstrated and ensure that they are not punished

After agreeing to the requests of the employees, the employer also made some demands of his
own:

1.     The employees themselves need to be responsible for the costs of reporting to immigration
every 90 days. If they miss the dead-line, the fines have to be paid by employees themselves.
The employees need to take care not to lose their documents. The employer will not be held
responsible if the police arrest workers when they are traveling around because it is not a
concern of the employers. The passports held by employees does not allow for international
travel. Even when traveling within Thailand, they have to get their passport stamped every 3
months at the Khaung Kal immigration office.

If they fail to report to immigration the first time, a fine has to be paid. But if they fail to report a

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Employers and employees from fishing net factory sign an agreement
Tuesday, 14 September 2010 00:00

second time, the temporary passport will become inactive and allow for travel only with the
permission of the employees’ respective employers.

Workers have to go to the Khaung Kal hospital to get blood-tests and any necessary
treatments. Employers will take no responsibility for the death of their passport-holding workers.
Groups of employees will be granted temporary passports together. Employees have to restart
work tomorrow.

2. The rights granted in the rules and regulations of Thailand will be upheld and wages will be
given according to the provincially approved rate. However, the employees' must also improve
the quality and productivity of their work as Thai workers did. The employer said that he will pay
157 Baht a day (from 8am to 5pm). The over-time payments will depend on the employer.

Before, the employees were paid 140 baht per day (from 8am to 5pm). Some worked an hour
and a half overtime (from 5pm to 6:30pm) to pay for their temporary passports and some
worked another hour and a half over-time work (from 6:30 pm to 8 pm) and were paid 20 Baht.

The employer will give overtime work to whoever wants it and agrees not to force Burmese
workers to work overtime.

3. The employees have to respect the rules and regulations adopted by the factory.

Mr. Sein Htay from Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF) is an activist involved
in migrant workers issues and was a negotiator at the meeting. He remarked, "We are gaining
rights, something that never happened in Khaung Kal before. We can call this a success. It is
the result of us working together. Today, an agreement was witnessed by the Thai Human
Rights Commission, Thai Lawyer Council, three NGOs, and provincial authorities. If employees
are doing wrong, they have to be punished and it is the same for the employer".

MAP foundation, Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF), authorities from
Bangkok based Human Rights Commission Office, Labor rights protection office, local based
workers social welfare group and Thai lawyer council members all went yesterday morning to

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Employers and employees from fishing net factory sign an agreement
Tuesday, 14 September 2010 00:00

the fishing net factory where the Burmese migrant workers demonstrated for labor rights.

The case hearing involved representatives for both the workers and employees. Burmese
migrant workers selected eight Committee members to represent themselves and speak with
the employer representatives.

Nan Aye Mon, one of the eight Burmese migrant workers committee members said, "We are so
happy and we are very grateful to all organizations who gave their assistance to us. We now
know the results unity can bring".

Recently, (on September 7 th ) the "Dechapanich Fishing Net Factory Ltd. Part” dismissed six
workers and altered their documents and temporary passports. Victims of these worker rights
abuses sought assistance from Burmese Association Thailand (BAT) and soon received
additional assistance from other NGOs that were notified.

Ma Thet Thet Oo, from Burmese Association Thailand (BAT) said, "There is higher pressure
now on us (compared to Thais) but we, the Burmese, can work harder. They are holding our
passports because they don't want us to leave. Factories in Thailand are rather essential for
Burmese labor. I didn't go to the successful workers' strike but I often gave my advice and
encouragement to them. We offered information that we received to those who went to hear the
case and sent photos and emails. We were exhausted all week but we are pleased because the
workers have received what they asked for".

The requests of the workers included: the right to hold their original passports, permission to go
to other places freely after completing a one year contract and, to receive complete health care.
They also shared other problems such as being asked to work on Sundays and addressed how
the administration board (consisting of both Thai and Burmese) treats workers as enemies,
makes arrests, gives beatings, and provides wages that are less than the Government
approved rates. They also deduct money from wages and do not inform the workers why.

Ko Thiha, one of the workers' representatives said, "I would like to tell my boss two things: you
cannot do whatever you want because of you are boss, and although the workers may not have
taken notice of Pi Sel Yap from Khaung Kal and Daw Thet Thet Oo from Bangkok, I will
remember these people from BAT all my life".

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Employers and employees from fishing net factory sign an agreement
Tuesday, 14 September 2010 00:00

Within this factory, more than 2000 workers are working with temporary passports and about
another around 300 hold living/ working IDs. All passports will be given to workers on
September 17th.

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