Independent, democratic fishers’ union officially launches in Thailand

Supported by the global union and NGOs, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) officially has launched the Fishers’ Rights Network (FRN) to combat abuse and exploitation in the Thai fishing industry.

The launch establishes FRN as the only independent and democratic fishers’ union in Thailand with endorsement from global union federations, national union centres in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia, maritime unions from around the world, domestic unions in Thailand, NGOs and Thailand’s biggest seafood processing company Thai Union.

Johnny Hansen, Chair of the ITF Fisheries Section today congratulated the fishers on taking the step to form FRN: “On behalf of the ITF, I congratulate FRN, their members and their committee. This is a significant day, these fishers are standing up, defending their fundamental labour and human rights, and driving material change for the lives of all fishers in Thailand.”

The pervasive use of trafficked, forced and bonded labour in the Thai fishing industry, together with dangerous working conditions, long hours, and a lack of legal protections for fishers has been well publicised and the source of international condemnation.

“I was a fisherman and seafarer in Norway for 13 years and am now the President of the Norwegian Seafarers Union. The widespread exploitation of fishers in Thailand and the stories that the fishers have told me about the conditions that they’re forced to endure are inhumane compared to international labour standards,” said Hansen.

“This exploitation has been exposed for years. The EU and US governments have both denounced and penalised the Thai Government for its repeated failure to stamp out illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.”

“We’ve been on the ground for 14 months working with hundreds of migrant fishers from Cambodia and Myanmar, and despite international pressure and Thai labour law reform, they’ve told us that little has changed. Labour and human rights abuses remain ingrained in the industry.”

“The lessons from countries with unionised fishing industries, is that without enforceable rights at the workplace and the strength that comes from being represented by a union, labour rights violations and the mistreatment of Thai fishers will continue.”

“FRN is building organising capacity and alliances with industry stakeholders across the country and around the world. FRN has vowed to campaign until the fundamental labour rights of all fishers in Thailand, including the right to form, join and be active in their union, are respected.”

The ITF has committed to support FRN in building a union that will fight to improve the wages, conditions and labour rights of all fishers in the Thai fishing industry.

Fishers’ Rights Network demands:

The elimination of passport, pink card, work permit, agent, broker and recruitment fees.
Increases in fishers wages and improvements in working conditions and labour rights of all fishers in the Thai fishing industry.
Providing all fishers with written contracts in their own language.
Ensuring that every fisher has access to basic first aid training and access to a comprehensive medical kit on board each vessel.
Every vessel to have an emergency medical procedure in place.
A vessel Code of Conduct in place for all vessels operating in Thai waters.
The Thai Government ratifying ILO Conventions 87, 98 and 188 and amending their Labour Law to allow migrant workers the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining and to form and be active in their union.ฃ

Organisations endorsing the Fishers’ Rights Network

Global union federations

International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)

Building and Woodworkers International Union (BWI)

National union centres

American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) – United States

Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) – Australia

Cambodian Labor Congress (CLC) – Cambodia

Trades Union Congress (TUC) – United Kingdom

State Enterprises Workers Confederation (SERC) – Thailand

National unions and union federations

Belgian Transport Workers Union (BTB) – Belgium

Building and Woodworkers Trade Union Federation of Cambodia (BWTUC)

Cambodian Transport Workers Federation (CTWF) – Cambodia

Independent Democratic of Informal Economy Association (IDEA) – Cambodia

International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) – Canada

Marine Transport Workers Trade Union of Ukraine (MTWTU) – Ukraine

Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association (MEBA) – United States

Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) – Australia

Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) – New Zealand

Norwegian Seafarers Union (NSU) – Norway

Norwegian Transport Workers Union (NTF) – Norway

Seafarers International Union (SIU) – Canada

Seafarers Union of Russia (SUR) – Russia

Thai unions

Building and Wood Workers International Council of Thailand (BWICT)

International Transport Workers’ Federation Thailand (ITF Thai)

Labor Union of Government Pharmaceutical Organization (LUGPO)

Metropolitan Electricity Authority Workers Union (MEAWU)

Rubber Authority of Thailand State Enterprise Worker Union (RAOT SWEU)

SEWU Marketing Organization of Farmers (SEWU MOF)

State Enterprise Electrified Train Workers Union (SEETU)

State Railway Union of Thailand (SRUT)

Thailand Automobile Workers Union (TAW)

Thai Airways International Union (TG Union)

Thai Confederation of Electronic, Electrical Appliances, Auto and Metal Workers (TEAM)

Thai Labour Solidarity Committee (TLSC)

Wingspan Workers Union (WWU)

TOT Public Company Limited Workers Union (TOT)

Non-government organisations

Ethical Trading Initiative

International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF)

Greenpeace Southeast Asia

Raks Thai Foundation

Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA)

Thai fishing industry is notorious for labour abuse, human trafficking and human rights violation (Photo from Khaosod)

Pick to Post

Search form

Organisations endorsing the Fishers’ Rights Network