Opinion-editorial on fishing and seafood

The United Nations and the International Labour Organization (ILO) jointly commemorated 18 December to mark the contributions that migrant workers make to the global economy. It is also an opportunity to focus on the struggles many migrant workers have to find decent work.

Fairness and dignity for migrant workers is particularly important for Thailand because the number of migrant workers here is growing—the most recent UN estimate puts the total number of migrant workers in Thailand at 3.5 to 4 million people. Their labour makes a vital contribution to the success of the Thai construction and seafood industries, as well as other sectors.

The struggles and abuses experience by both Thai and migrant workers in Thailand’s US$7 billion fishing and seafood industry have been reported in graphic detail around the world. This global attention has helped to produce some important changes in Thai labour law and new efforts to protect the rights of the hundreds of thousands of Thai, Cambodian, and Myanmar people in the industry.

But recent reports make it clear that more changes in Thai fishing and seafood processing are needed to prevent the abuse of migrant workers. The ILO’s new project (funded by the European Union) to combat labour abuses in the industry is dedicated to helping the Thai government, employers, and workers’ organizations make the necessary changes. These include better labour law enforcement, the prevention of forced labour and child labour, organizing migrant workers into unions, and greater efforts throughout the industry to meet global labour standards.

Respect for the fundamental rights of workers—both Thai and migrant—is not just about basic human rights and complying with Thai law. It is also about business and competitiveness. Many of the buyers of Thai seafood around the world now look for decent work in their supply chains. As Thai seafood suppliers plan for the future they see that remaining competitive in this global industry means more than low prices and high quality. It also means decent work.

The views expressed are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect the position of the ILO or any of its members or constituents, or constitute any kind of endorsement.