During the annual United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights, the Human Rights and Business Award Foundation is naming Migrant Workers Rights Network (MWRN) as recipient of the 2020 Human Rights and Business Award. The award, recognizing “outstanding work by human rights defenders addressing the human rights impacts of business”, is accompanied by a $50,000 grant...

MWRN is a grassroots member-based association that works to protect the rights of migrant workers who live and work in Thailand, the majority being from Myanmar. The organization was founded in 2009 by nine Myanmar migrant leaders after seeing extensive exploitation and abuse of migrant workers in Thai factories, the seafood industry, agriculture, and construction… Some Thai companies – including pineapple firm Natural Fruit Company and poultry firm Thammakaset – have brought multiple lawsuits against labor rights advocates (including MWRN staff) after they exposed widespread abuses. These lawsuits have been strongly criticized … as unwarranted and an attempt to harass, intimidate and silence workers and human rights defenders… Seafood products company Thai Union, whose international brands include Chicken of the Sea, John West, Petit Navire and Rügen Fisch, has been collaborating with MWRN to promote the rights of its workers, and to promote social dialogue…