Seminar on Migrant and Child Labour in Thailand’s Shrimp and Other Seafood Supply Chains: Labour Conditions and the Decision to Study or Work
The International Labour Office (ILO) and The Asia Foundation are pleased to invite you to attend the launch of a research report on Migrant and Child Labour in Thailand’s Shrimp and Other Seafood Supply Chains: Labour Conditions and the Decision to Study or Work. The launch seminar will be held on Monday, September 14, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Napalai Room, Dusit Thani Hotel, Bangkok.
The International Labour Office (ILO) and The Asia Foundation are pleased to invite you to attend the launch of a research report on Migrant and Child Labour in Thailand’s Shrimp and Other Seafood Supply Chains: Labour Conditions and the Decision to Study or Work. The launch seminar will be held on Monday, September 14, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Napalai Room, Dusit Thani Hotel, Bangkok.
The study aims to strengthen the evidence base on child labour and the labour conditions of migrant workers in Thailand’s shrimp and other seafood supply chains, with a particular focus on communities engaged in these industries. In particular, it is intended to provide practical, empirically grounded policy recommendations that can be discussed with different stakeholders and considered by both national and provincial governments and industry. The study draws on a combination of existing evidence and data from ILO’s work in Thailand and supplementary qualitative information generated through focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and consultations with stakeholders.
This research study and policy analysis on Migrant and Child Labour in Thailand’s Shrimp and Other Seafood Supply Chains: Labour Conditions and the Decision to Study or Work draws on the existing evidence and data from the earlier ILO/IPEC research projects, and supplements it with qualitative information generated through focus group discussions (FGDs), key informant interviews (KIIs), consultations with key stakeholders, and other methodologies.
The above-mentioned ILO/IPEC research studies include 1) Baseline Survey on Child Labour in Selected Province in Thailand Selected Province in Thailand Samut Sakhon and Surat Thani Provinces (Thailand: TDRI, 2013), 2) Baseline Survey on Child Labour in Selected Areas where Shrimp and Seafood Related Industries are Condensed in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Songkhla Provinces 2011-2012 (Thailand: PSU, 2013) and 3) Baseline Survey of Migrant Communities in Samut Sakhon Province (Thailand: DPU, 2014).
The purpose of this study is twofold: first, to strengthen the evidence base on child labour and labour conditions in the shrimp and seafood supply chain and within the communities engaged in the shrimp and seafood processing industries; and second, to provide practical and empirically grounded policy recommendations that can be discussed with different stakeholders and utilized by both national and provincial governments.
The research study and policy analysis take a socioeconomic approach in exploring how available data can inform our understanding of: (1) the social and economic impacts of migration into land-based shrimp and other seafood processing industries on migrant communities and Thailand more broadly; (2) attitudes among industry workers and employers; (3) labour conditions within the industry; (4) exploitation of migrant workers; (5) access to services by migrant workers and their children; and (6) related issues and considerations.
This report builds on the ILO’s work to date in three ways. First, a value chain analysis of Thailand’s canned tuna and shrimp processing sectors, which examines labour issues throughout the value chain, highlights ways in which these industries have achieved success in improving labour standards, and identifies actionable steps for improvement. Second, the report conducts an integrated analysis of the three datasets collected under the ILO project, with a focus on work, education, and health issues among migrant children working in shrimp and seafood processing. Third, the report presents an extended analysis of a key dimension of these results—the decisions made by migrant families to send their children to school or to engage in various forms of work. It concludes with recommendations for sustainable strategies that policymakers and industry can adopt to promote and enforce sound labour practices in the shrimp and seafood industries, eliminate child labour from the value chain, and increase access to education among migrant children living in Thailand.
The study aims to strengthen the evidence base on child labour and the labour conditions of migrant workers in Thailand’s shrimp and other seafood supply chains, with a particular focus on communities engaged in these industries. In particular, it is intended to provide practical, empirically grounded policy recommendations that can be discussed with different stakeholders and considered by both national and provincial governments and industry. The study draws on a combination of existing evidence and data from ILO’s work in Thailand and supplementary qualitative information generated through focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and consultations with stakeholders.
This research study and policy analysis on Migrant and Child Labour in Thailand’s Shrimp and Other Seafood Supply Chains: Labour Conditions and the Decision to Study or Work draws on the existing evidence and data from the earlier ILO/IPEC research projects, and supplements it with qualitative information generated through focus group discussions (FGDs), key informant interviews (KIIs), consultations with key stakeholders, and other methodologies.
The above-mentioned ILO/IPEC research studies include 1) Baseline Survey on Child Labour in Selected Province in Thailand Selected Province in Thailand Samut Sakhon and Surat Thani Provinces (Thailand: TDRI, 2013), 2) Baseline Survey on Child Labour in Selected Areas where Shrimp and Seafood Related Industries are Condensed in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Songkhla Provinces 2011-2012 (Thailand: PSU, 2013) and 3) Baseline Survey of Migrant Communities in Samut Sakhon Province (Thailand: DPU, 2014).
The purpose of this study is twofold: first, to strengthen the evidence base on child labour and labour conditions in the shrimp and seafood supply chain and within the communities engaged in the shrimp and seafood processing industries; and second, to provide practical and empirically grounded policy recommendations that can be discussed with different stakeholders and utilized by both national and provincial governments.
The research study and policy analysis take a socioeconomic approach in exploring how available data can inform our understanding of: (1) the social and economic impacts of migration into land-based shrimp and other seafood processing industries on migrant communities and Thailand more broadly; (2) attitudes among industry workers and employers; (3) labour conditions within the industry; (4) exploitation of migrant workers; (5) access to services by migrant workers and their children; and (6) related issues and considerations.
This report builds on the ILO’s work to date in three ways. First, a value chain analysis of Thailand’s canned tuna and shrimp processing sectors, which examines labour issues throughout the value chain, highlights ways in which these industries have achieved success in improving labour standards, and identifies actionable steps for improvement. Second, the report conducts an integrated analysis of the three datasets collected under the ILO project, with a focus on work, education, and health issues among migrant children working in shrimp and seafood processing. Third, the report presents an extended analysis of a key dimension of these results—the decisions made by migrant families to send their children to school or to engage in various forms of work. It concludes with recommendations for sustainable strategies that policymakers and industry can adopt to promote and enforce sound labour practices in the shrimp and seafood industries, eliminate child labour from the value chain, and increase access to education among migrant children living in Thailand.