Migrant workers turned migrant volunteers to support their peers in their communities

PHETCHABURI, Thailand – Currently, there are over 20,00 migrant workers reside and work in Phetchaburi province. However, critical gaps in information about labour rights and information about health and safety remain a challenge. The joint ILO-UN Women Safe and Fair programme, therefore, established a Migrant Worker Resource Centre (MRC) to address the needs of migrant workers in the area.

Migrant workers' network plays a crucial link in connecting migrant workers to the health system in Thailand. Through the MRC, the joint ILO-UN Women Safe and Fair programme in partnership the Raks Thai Foundation, therefore, increased their capacity and knowledge about migrants’ rights and women’s rights. Since the establishment of the MRC in Petchaburi in June 2021, the migrant volunteers’ network has expanded with 325 members to date, of whom 141 are women.

Prior to the arrival of the Safe and Fair programme, there was no MRC in the province and nearby area. Most migrant workers in Petchaburi migrated from Myanmar and work in the electronics manufactures. As 90 per cent of the migrant workers in the province face with language barrier, it is very challenging not only for the migrant workers, but also for the authorities and Thai community to communicate and understand one another, thus even more challenging for migrant workers to access the available services.

On 12 June 2022, the MRC and migrant volunteers on health and interpretation had a chance to welcome Ms Sarah Egger, Operational Officer of the European Union (EU) in Brussels, Mr Daniel Hachez, Head of Cooperation for Bhutan, China, India, Malaysia, Mongolia, Thailand, EU Delegation Thailand, and Ms Francesca Gilli, Attaché Programme Officer Cooperation, EU Delegation Thailand, Mr Nilim Baruah, Regional Specialist, Labour Migration Decent Work Technical Support Team-Bangkok, and Ms Bharathi Pflug, Senior Specialist, Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. The visit aimed to learn about the challenges and listen to the needs of migrant workers, especially women. The group of delegates also had chance to visit the mobile MRC at the weekly Sunday market where migrant workers were provided with information on labour and social security rights.

I am happy to be a part of the migrant volunteer team and support my community. I hope that the activity would continue as I wanted to learn more about labour rights violation and services for migrant workers."

Khin Mar Hay, woman migrant volunteer

The MRC is supported by Safe and Fair Programme and operated in partnership with Raks Thai Foundation, with the financial support from the EU. Through this partnership, the trained volunteers will support migrant communities on health and interpretation, conduct outreach activities and assist in disseminating COVID-19 related information in their communities, ensuring access to accurate information about health and safety, safe migration and labour rights which will help prevent exploitation and violence against women migrant workers.