In Thailand, Myanmar migrants’ illicit unions fight to be heard

Myanmar migrant workers are not allowed to form unions under Thai law, leaving them with little representation at work.

By Kiana Duncan

Published On 30 May 202230 May 2022

This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center and Democratic Voice of Burma

Ranong, Thailand – When Po Kyaw left for work on board a new ship in the coastal town of Ranong last month, his wife and sister-in-law reminded him to be careful despite his 10 years of experience working on boats in Thailand.

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But just one day later, Po Kyaw was killed at sea while performing a check on the propeller.

“I was worried when he left the house,” his sister-in-law told Al Jazeera, asking to use a pseudonym for her brother to protect his identity. “I told him, ‘When you go underwater, take care. You’ve done this before, you’ll do well.’”

Po Kyaw’s family were initially unaware they were entitled to compensation under Thailand’s social security system that would help support his widow and five children. After several attempts at convincing the family to pursue compensation, a local fishing activist finally convinced them to get more information.

Po Kyaw’s case and his family’s unfamiliarity with their rights are not isolated incidents. 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. Data compiled by the International Labour Organization (ILO) suggests that the output of such workers accounts for up to 6.6 percent of the country’s total gross domestic product (GDP).

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.

Myat Thida, who recently crossed the border into Thailand illegally, said her former employer, a slipper factory in Mae Sot, western Thailand, treated its Myanmar staff much differently than their Thai counterparts.

Myat Thida said employees reported frequent injuries incurred from operating blisteringly hot machinery, and were dismissed when reporting illness to their superiors.

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Myat Thida said she and other undocumented workers earned just 200 Thai Baht a day ($5.86), about half of what her documented peers received.

“The factory thinks if you are an illegal person, you get illegal pay,” she told Al Jazeera, asking to be referred to by a pseudonym.

“The amount of work we have to do is the same, but we don’t get the same pay.”