Bank accounts for fishermen in Thailand can help end abuses, officials say

Rina Chandran

 

Migrant fishermen from Myanmar sort the catch after returning from the ocean to Ban Nam Khem, December 14, 2014. Reuters

 

BANGKOK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A new order requiring bank accounts for migrant workers in Thailand’s fishing and seafood industries can help end forced labor, officials said, as pressure grows from foreign buyers to tackle abuses in the multi-billion-dollar sector.

 

The National Fisheries Association of Thailand will in April or May begin enforcing the order requiring workers to be paid through electronic bank transfers, said Supavadee Chotikajan, of the International Labour Organization (ILO).

 

Before it begins enforcing the order, which the labor ministry passed in November, the association will need to issue new employment contracts to migrant workers in the seafood and fishing industries, said Chotikajan.

 

“The policy to pay through bank accounts will ensure greater transparency and fairness to workers in the seafood and fishing industry,” said Jarin Jakkaphak, a labor ministry official.

 

“They may be migrants, but they are entitled to equal rights as human beings,” he told reporters Wednesday at the launch of an ILO report on conditions for fishermen and seafood processing workers in Thailand.

 

Thailand’s seafood industry has come under scrutiny in recent years after investigations showed slavery, trafficking and violence on fishing boats and at onshore processing facilities.

 

Fishermen remain at risk of forced labor, and the wages of some continue to be withheld, despite pressure from major retailers to clean up the industry, ILO said in its report.

 

Deductions and delays in payments are hard to track when workers are paid in cash, said Jason Judd, an ILO program officer in Bangkok.

 

“The workers did not get payslips, so they didn’t know how much they were paid, how much was held back and how much they were still owed,” Judd told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

 

“I’ve never seen a payment system so convoluted.”

 

More than half the estimated 600,000 workers in the industries are registered migrant workers.

 

Nearly a fourth of workers ILO surveyed said they had experienced delayed and partial payments.

 

While average monthly gross wages rose to 9,980 baht ($319) before deductions from 6,483 baht in the last four years, the increase “coincided with a doubling of wage withholding - an ILO indicator of forced labor”, according to the report.

 

The ILO and local charities are educating workers on operating bank accounts and using ATMs, Judd said.

 

“It’s an inherently bumpy route to electronic payments.”

 

“But it is necessary to clean up the system: it will help ensure they are paid the minimum wage, help inspectors see if there are abuses, and cut out the middleman,” he said.

 

Reporting by Rina Chandran @rinachandran. Editing by Jared Ferrie.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-03-08

Will the banks comply,it's difficult for foreigners to open

accounts now, but I suppose these workers will all have

work permits ?, Banks around the fishing ports are going

to be extremely busy, I just hope it does stop the explotation

of these workers,who are doing a terrible job,for not a lot of money.

regards Worgeordie

So now they're gonna be screwed electronically instead

 

I maybe overlooking the obvious but how does changing the method of not paying them help their cause?

No different to "which testicle should I crush"

18 hours ago, webfact said:

The ILO and local charities are educating workers on operating bank accounts and using ATMs, Judd said.

a side note to the main thread, but it shouldn't be; i predict many issues on the getting-my-money-out side; likewise , although good in theory and reasonably well described, the effort is impractical given the stated huge number of people and timeframes quoted

On ‎08‎/‎03‎/‎2018 at 3:54 PM, worgeordie said:

Will the banks comply,it's difficult for foreigners to open

accounts now, but I suppose these workers will all have

work permits ?, Banks around the fishing ports are going

to be extremely busy, I just hope it does stop the explotation

of these workers,who are doing a terrible job,for not a lot of money.

regards Worgeordie

I can only guess that they will have a legal contract and work permit. So no problem with a work permit.

On 3/9/2018 at 9:16 AM, grumbleweed said:

So now they're gonna be screwed electronically instead

 

I maybe overlooking the obvious but how does changing the method of not paying them help their cause?

No different to "which testicle should I crush"

I am assuming the abuse they are trying to tackle is non-payment/underpayment of wages? E.g. pay master or others pocketing cash wages before distribution to workers. Without a record, workers' claims of non-payment/underpayment becomes matter of he said/she said. 

 

As for the long hours and deplorable working conditions...