US urged to stop importing fishing nets from Thailand

[webfact]

Thai fishermen haul in a net at sea. (Photo supplied)

 

Organizations cite persistent labor rights violations in the manufacture of fishing gear in Thai prisons

 

UCA News reporter, Bangkok

 

Prominent labor and human rights organizations have called on the government of the United States to ensure that fishing nets are not imported from Thailand over persistent labor rights violations in the manufacturing of these nets by local companies.

 

In a report published last December by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the news organization found that many inmates at Thai prisons are forced to make fishing nets for private companies and that non-compliance with orders or failure to meet stringent quotas resulted in the prisoners being punished.

 

The inmates received little or no pay for their work in what effectively amounted to forced labor, the report said. “[The officers] would say that if we didn’t make five nets a week, we would be punished,” one former inmate at Surin Central Prison in northeast Thailand was quoted as saying.

 

Full story: https://www.ucanews.com/news/us-urged-to-stop-importing-fishing-nets-from-thailand/96251#

 

-- © Copyright UCA news 2022-02-26

 

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[RandiRona]

Hahaha...like the capitalist in any country care. What they care are more profits...

[Guest Isaanlife]

Money at all costs. Thailand the Land of MAAC!

[Dan O]

29 minutes ago, RandiRona said:

Hahaha...like the capitalist in any country care. What they care are more profits...

Free profits as the result of forced labor of inmates in Thai jails for thai companies has nothing to do with any other country. Its a thai issue to solve and stop. If notifying the US or any other country about the issue helps then absolutely they should speak up. I'm sure they are not passing on those free profits to any customer 

[bbko]

I'm sure I'm a little off on this, but when it comes to prison work force, big woo hoo.  Convicts being exploited.....Karma is a B%*^$.

[Airalee]

Prison labor in US federal prisons has a minimum wage of $0.12/hour.  Less than $1/day (for 8 hours)

 

In Georgia and Texas state prisons, inmates are paid a maximum of $0 per day

 

https://www.prisonpolicy.org/prisonindex/prisonlabor.html

 

 

[Pique Dard]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

to ensure that fishing nets are not imported from Thailand over persistent labor rights violations in the manufacturing of these nets by local companies.

if i read right, those violations occurred only in the manufacturing of fishing gear?

[zzaa09]

The same wokesters that insisted that the U.S. stop purchasing Thai farmed shrimp as the practice was interfering with the native mangrove....

How'd that work out for the U.S.? ???? 

 

 

 

 

[it didn't work out, as the U.S. had to back off after the Thais told 'em to **** off - 75% of shrimp/prawns sold in the U.S. is Thai based]????

[hotchilli]

Many prisons use inmates for production of commodities... the hourly rate is never the same as outside.

Conditions are normal for prison life.

[bbko]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The inmates received little or no pay for their work in what effectively amounted to forced labor,

Are they or the taxpayers paying for their 3 meals a day? Their shelter? Their medical care? Their cost to guard them?  

 

[ThaiFelix]

6 hours ago, RandiRona said:

Hahaha...like the capitalist in any country care. What they care are more profits...

Yes, protecting American interests!

 

Actually I am surprised the US doesnt have a law prohibiting the import of any goods manufactured in a prison, I know Australia does.  However I imagine where the almighty dollar is at stake paperwork can be juggled to get around the laws like a few years ago when the US exported aluminium tubes to Iran for its uranium centrifuges even though they were under severe sanctions.

[huangnon]

Fun fact (off topic slightly) : Discarded fishing nets are by far the biggest plastic polluter in the world's oceans.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/06/dumped-fishing-gear-is-biggest-plastic-polluter-in-ocean-finds-report

[RandiRona]

25 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

Yes, protecting American interests!

 

Actually I am surprised the US doesnt have a law prohibiting the import of any goods manufactured in a prison, I know Australia does.  However I imagine where the almighty dollar is at stake paperwork can be juggled to get around the laws like a few years ago when the US exported aluminium tubes to Iran for its uranium centrifuges even though they were under severe sanctions.

You are right, they want cheap, doesnt matter where it come from and who made it.

Like they are putting sanctions on Russia but not on oil and energy so that consumers in US and Europe dont have to pay $10 a gallon. Hypocrisy??

 

[digger70]

6 hours ago, Airalee said:

Prison labor in US federal prisons has a minimum wage of $0.12/hour.  Less than $1/day (for 8 hours)

 

In Georgia and Texas state prisons, inmates are paid a maximum of $0 per day

 

https://www.prisonpolicy.org/prisonindex/prisonlabor.html

 

 

The Australian system provides uniform wages across all federal prisons based on a five-day 30-hour working week. The ceiling wage per week is AU$70.2.

[John Drake]

US uses prison labor extensively. Inmates even do call center jobs. 

Quote

In December 2019 it was reported that Michael Bloomberg’s presidential campaign had subcontracted a company that used prison labor to make campaign calls (although the Bloomberg campaign was quick to deny any knowledge of this arrangement). Additionally, it has been reported that inmates have provided various other services over the phone, such as handling Department of Motor Vehicle calls in New York state and tourism related calls in North Carolina.     https://glc.yale.edu/news/hello-inside-researching-prison-call-center-industry

 

[Scott Tracy]

Hypocritical BS....

[RobU]

21 hours ago, bbko said:

I'm sure I'm a little off on this, but when it comes to prison work force, big woo hoo.  Convicts being exploited.....Karma is a B%*^$.

And what about the people whose jobs they are stealing, who have no work because of this use of slave labour instead.

[KhunLA]

That's fine, as an American, I refuse to by American products, for various reasons.

[John Drake]

9 hours ago, RobU said:

And what about the people whose jobs they are stealing, who have no work because of this use of slave labour instead.

Plenty of people work for KKFN. But most all those on the floor making nets are Burmese.

[Myran]

On 2/26/2022 at 6:24 AM, Pique Dard said:

if i read right, those violations occurred only in the manufacturing of fishing gear?

No, you absolutely didn't read that right.

[John Drake]

6 hours ago, KhunLA said:

That's fine, as an American, I refuse to by American products, for various reasons.

I didn't realize we made anything anymore, except maybe crash-prone jet airliners. At any rate, the boycott is nothing but fundraising PR for the organization behind it. KKFN at least hasn't sold anything to the US in several years. Their main customers are China and Indonesia.

[PETERTHEEATER]

It's not as if the quality is good. The last Thai made fishing net I bought was full of holes!

[RobU]

5 hours ago, John Drake said:

Plenty of people work for KKFN. But most all those on the floor making nets are Burmese.

I don't understand? what is your point?

[zzaa09]

8 hours ago, KhunLA said:

That's fine, as an American, I refuse to by American products, for various reasons.

An American product [literal].

Bit of a term of contradictory?

[Mavideol]

On 2/26/2022 at 7:54 AM, bbko said:

Are they or the taxpayers paying for their 3 meals a day? Their shelter? Their medical care? Their cost to guard them?  

 

great movie it was   555

[KhunLA]

56 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

An American product [literal].

Bit of a term of contradictory?

correct ... Made in USA .. 

 

Lumped my amigos in with them damn pesky yanks, that's embarrassing.

[John Drake]

1 hour ago, RobU said:

I don't understand? what is your point?

The point is no Thai would be losing a job to prison labor because those jobs would just go to more Burmese.

[RobU]

6 minutes ago, John Drake said:

The point is no Thai would be losing a job to prison labor because those jobs would just go to more Burmese.

I made no distinction between nationalities in my post, Non-Criminal Burmese need jobs just as much as Non-Criminal Thai's

[Purdey]

It isn't just fishing nets. One foundation donated sewing machines and paid for a teacher to show women inmates how to make clothing. They made better money than other inmates. The project collapsed when the USA said it was illegal for them to export goods made in prison to the USA.

The irony of prison labor in the USA was not lost on anyone.

[Saanim]

On 2/26/2022 at 4:57 AM, Dan O said:

Free profits as the result of forced labor of inmates in Thai jails for thai companies has nothing to do with any other country.

Can you share your knowledge about that?