"In Thailand, Myanmar migrants’ illicit unions fight to be heard", 30 May 2022

Despite the major contribution of migrants from Myanmar to Thailand’s lucrative seafood industry, critics say such workers are often exploited and have little or no representation in the workplace. Under Thailand’s 1975 Labor Relations Act, only citizens are permitted to form or lead a union.

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[...] Myanmar nationals make up 80 percent of all migrants employed in Thailand’s agricultural, fishing and manufacturing sectors, according to a 2020 study by Mahidol University, and the number of people from Myanmar fleeing to the neighbouring country has only accelerated since Myanmar’s February 2021 military coup. [...]

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Despite the major contribution of migrants from Myanmar to Thailand’s lucrative seafood industry, critics say such workers are often exploited and have little or no representation in the workplace. Under Thailand’s 1975 Labor Relations Act, only citizens are permitted to form or lead a union.

Advocates say that labour violations against new arrivals, many of them lacking official documentation, have rapidly proliferated.

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Thailand is one of the three ASEAN countries that have not ratified ILO Conventions 87 or 98, which grant migrant workers the right to organise and collectively bargain.

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But rather than loosening restrictions on unionisation, Thailand appears to be doubling down on control of organised labour.

Draft legislation unveiled by the Thai cabinet in early 2021 stipulates that NGOs must avoid social disruption and pose no threat to Thailand’s national and economic security or international relations. The vague wording — especially Section 19, under which state authorities can intervene to halt such activities — has alarmed rights groups across Thailand.

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