Thai Embassy issues warning to Sweden-bound berry pickers

[webfact]

Thai Embassy issues warning to Sweden-bound berry pickers

BANGKOK: -- The Thai Embassy in Stockholm has issued a warning to Thai nationals seeking employment as berry pickers in Sweden to avoid being scammed by unscrupulous job placement agents.

Would-be berry pickers are advised to find out about actual working conditions and wages instead of relying on the words of mouth or false promises made by Thai job placement agents.berrypickers

Job placement agents usually charge exortibant fees, up to THB100,000 per head, for the opportunity to work as wild berry pickers in Sweden.

The workers are then sent to work under contract for Swedish companies. The majority of Thai berry pickers from poverty-stricken areas in the Northeast. Many had to borrow money to pay the agents in the hope that they would be able to earn a lot more to cover the expenses.

But most Thai wild berry pickers do not realize the harsh working/living conditions, including typical working day that starts around 3 am and can drag on until late at night.

Each picking season, thousands of Thais are granted temporary visa to work during mid-July to end of September. Their wages depend on the amount of fruits they pick under quota.

Although Swedish authorities offer guarantee for minimum wage of SEK18,975 (THB95,000) per month on condition of a minimum 40-hour work week, many Thais are unaware of the rules, failed to clock up the number of hours required and found themselves unprotected.

Thai workers are also charged daily expenses, amounting to SEK8,400 per month for food, transportation, lodging by their Swedish contractors. To actually make money, the berry pickers have to pick enough to cover and exceed the expenses.

Risks include low yields, illnesses and occupational hazards, like getting lost in forest or an encounter with wild bears. Some Thai berry pickers end up not making any money and find themselves hopeless indebted.

Read more (in Thai): Embassy of Thailand in Stockholm

Source: http://scandasia.com/thai-embassy-in-sweden-issues-warning-to-would-be-berry-pickers/

-- ScandAsia 2014-06-06

[Thai at Heart]

Why do they have to pay an agent 100k to get a job.

Why can't these agents be removed from the process? Duh.....

[Paulzed]

getting lost in forest or an encounter with wild bears. Some Thai berry pickers end up not making any money and find themselves hopeless indebted.

Sounds like the bears are in on it to, and the berry pickers had to pay them off also.

[scorecard]

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Why do they have to pay an agent 100k to get a job.

Why can't these agents be removed from the process? Duh.....

Nice point. Perhaps chalerm might like to answer that question.

[bigbamboo]

95k a month minimum wage, occupational hazards like getting lost in the forest or an encounter with wild bears....!

Is this for real?

[Bluespunk]

"Although Swedish authorities offer guarantee for minimum wage of SEK18,975 (THB95,000) per month on condition of a minimum 40-hour work week, many Thais are unaware of the rules, failed to clock up the number of hours required and found themselves unprotected."

If [as the report claims] they start at 3.00 am and work until late at night, how is it that they fail to clock up a 40 hour working week?

Edited June 6, 2014 by Bluespunk

[Paulzed]

Looks like another box of tissues coming up!

[bdenner]

The 100K Baht agents fee is pretty much average for Thais working overseas whether it be Sweden, Japan, Taiwan, Israel etc. It covers visas, flights and other costs involved in the applicant getting the work.

The Thais generally know the first year is payback and they do not start accumulating funds until into the 2nd and subsiquent years.

TW's brother worked in a tyre plant in Taiwan for 4 years at the end of which he had saved enough to buy 40 Rai of land (now under rubber) and 2nd hand pickup. Came home for about 2 weeks every year.

[Eliot Rosewater]

You mean they were promised things like certain salaries that never materialized?

Such a shame, because that kind of thing NEVER happens to foreigners in Thailand.

[Paulzed]

You mean they were promised things like certain salaries that never materialized?

Such a shame, because that kind of thing NEVER happens to foreigners in Thailand.

It does, you just cant say anything about it, coz someone may loose face....and don't forget tourism is bouncing back.

[KhunBENQ]

A yearly story.

Again and again people fall in this trap.

I have seen more than one report/feature about this berry picker topic in the past years.

If these reports are true, there is definitely no minimum wage.

The workers are treated as "independent" contractors and carry the risk of a bad crop.

Edited June 6, 2014 by KhunBENQ

[KhunBENQ]

The 100K Baht agents fee is pretty much average for Thais working overseas whether it be Sweden, Japan, Taiwan, Israel etc. It covers visas, flights and other costs involved in the applicant getting the work.

Meets my experiences.

I took the risk to give a loan of 100k for a guy going to Israel (with some garantuee).

So far his family pays back in time (money flowing in).

Edited June 6, 2014 by KhunBENQ

[Paulzed]

The 100K Baht agents fee is pretty much average for Thais working overseas whether it be Sweden, Japan, Taiwan, Israel etc. It covers visas, flights and other costs involved in the applicant getting the work.

Meets my experiences.

I took the risk to give a loan of 100k for a guy going to Israel (with some garantuee).

So far his family pays back in time (money flowing in).

Is she good looking?

[Travel2003]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Why do they have to pay an agent 100k to get a job.

Why can't these agents be removed from the process? Duh.....

Nice point. Perhaps chalerm might like to answer that question.

Maybe a nice point, but extremely naïve to ask that question.

Most jobs these days go through agents (Manning agencies) when foreign work force is in the picture.

It is not like someone from "farawayland" whom doesn't speak a single English word knows how to find the berry picking job in Sweden, or pick fruit in California.

[belg]

as long as they dont impose 4 swedisch workers per thai working there

[UbonRatch]

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Why do they have to pay an agent 100k to get a job.

Why can't these agents be removed from the process? Duh.....

Nice point. Perhaps chalerm might like to answer that question.

Any idea where he is?

[klauskunkel]

From the article:

minimum wage 18,975SEK/month

expenses 8,400SEK/month

take home 10,000SEK/month times 2.5 months is 25,000SEK, or about 122.000 baht

pay for job placement 100,000 baht

leaves 22,000 baht - just enough for Thai whiskey to drown your memory of a bear encounter, until next year...

[Skywalker69]

95k a month minimum wage, occupational hazards like getting lost in the forest or an encounter with wild bears....!

Is this for real?

Sweden is a small country. We have 3300-3500 Brownbears, in the northen parts of the country there is a lot of widerness, not long ago the found a military airplane from WWII up there.

[gchurch259]

Did I just read yesterday the same about Hawaii and Thai Citizens filed suit and won from five companies in Hawaii ? Guess it is time to move the suit to Sweden, I have always held the Swedens in high replact, I am suprised about this.

With reference to the post about the Thai Gentleman working in Taiwan, I do respect those people and hold them in much higher regard than their "Main Land Comrades". I wish China would leave them alone. In 1955 Mao was glad to get rid of them and now they are a financial superpower, China says we never let them go, BS !!

[wirat69]

Just had to mention... they are picking RED berries!!

[Paulzed]

You wouldn't think that picking berries in Sweden would generate so much interest.

[BadBouy]

You wouldn't think that picking berries in Sweden would generate so much interest.

With 5 posts out of 21 on the topic seems your are the interested one!

Edited June 6, 2014 by BadBouy

[Ragzilb]

STOP ABUSE WORKERS. without them we would not have luxary. Minimum Wage was never meant to be a wage, its was a measurement to outline the most basic of living conditions.

[Prbkk]

You wouldn't think that picking berries in Sweden would generate so much interest.

Certainly young Swedes have zero interest in it..

[chainarong]

Don't go it is simple as that , the new government should follow this up ,the Thai agency should be registered and have contacts / contracts in writing with Swedish companies , the Thai Embassy(Sweden) should be working in collaboration with Swedish authorities to check on these companies and ensure they comply through out the contract , the workers should report to the Thai Embassy Sweden before going to work , everything should be above board / transparent in other-words, how they can get away with this in Sweden is a poor reflection of the immigration/ labour departments in Sweden, not doing follow up raids etc to check on immigrant workers pays and conditions.

[Skywalker69]

Just had to mention... they are picking RED berries!!

They are first picking blueberries and then lingonberries. (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) in latin and yes it´s red.

[marko kok prong]

Maybe Thai tv could pick up on it and make a soap,lost in the woods,shagged by brown bears,or some such,while belly picking.

[jerome2]

THEY DON'T GIVE ANY ALTERNATIVE

it's an agent or ...no work

[Skywalker69]

You wouldn't think that picking berries in Sweden would generate so much interest.

Certainly young Swedes have zero interest in it..

Not only young Swedes, most of the spoiled kids in the westen World wouldent do it, it´s a back braiking tedious work, a lot of walking in hard terrain. Then you have to do the cleansing.

Good help for picking berries.

Cleansed berries redy for the buyer.

Picking it is only half of the job next comes cleansing.

[marko kok prong]

I picked fruit in Australia,and boy is it hard work in hot condition's,most western country's import labour for this work,as you said skywalker,they would rather sit round taking govt unemployment than do this in the west.