Thai fishery industry invites supply-chain inspection

[webfact]

LABOUR
Fishery invites supply-chain inspection
Petchanet Pratruangkrai,
Erich Parpart
The Nation


Acting Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow speaks during a news conference at the Foreign Ministry in Bangkok June 24, 2014. Sihasak dismissed the resistance group, telling reporters there was "only one legitimate government".

BANGKOK: -- The Thai fishery industry yesterday invited non-governmental organisations and private firms, as well as international government agencies, to inspect their plants and supply chains, insisting that the industry has strongly opposed forced labour.

"We dare to challenge NGOs and are willing to invite our customers to audit our factories and reveal information about employment," said Poj Aramwattananont, chairman of the Thai Fishery Producers Coalition, representing eight seafood and fisheries associations.

He said that while it was true some wrongdoing had occurred in the past, "we can insist that we are strongly working on good labour practices and comply with international regulations".

In response to the US State Department's decision downgrade Thailand to Tier 3 for the worst human trafficking in its 2014 "Trafficking in Persons" (TIP) report, the Thai producers coalition has stressed its position that child and forced labour will not be tolerated.

The industry pledged full cooperation with Thai authorities to fight human trafficking.

The coalition emphasised that the US decision to downgrade Thailand was unfair. The Thai industry wants the truth to be told - that there is no slavery involved in the shrimp supply chain.

It said it had no interest in taking legal action against the industry's accusers or quarrelling, would continue to prove that it has stringently screened out forced or child labour.

Trading partners will continue to do business with Thailand, Poj said. Costco, a leading US superstore, is scheduled to visit the Kingdom next month to study the labour system and collect information to show its customers that workers are well treated by its Thai suppliers in accordance with the company's requirements and international standards.

The seafood industry has worked on labour issues since 2006. Actually, Thailand should be upgraded to Tier 2 - it was on a watch list before the latest TIP report - but for reasons of its own, the US decided to downgrade Thailand unfairly, he added.

Panisuan Jamnarnwej, president emeritus of the Thai Frozen Foods Association (TFFA), said Thailand would make an effort to create better understanding among the public, as the TIP report and a newspaper article had created a bad reputation for the Thai industry.

The industry will also work closely with its members and government agencies, as well as international labour task forces, to punish any enterprise that breaches labour laws.

It has set up a hotline for workers facing unfair practices by employers.

All shrimp exporters are members of the TFFA, and the association has mandatory programmes such as good manufacturing processes and HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control points) for heath and sanitation purposes. A good labour practice programme from the Labour Ministry and Fisheries Department is being implemented with the International Labour Organisation as adviser and co-facilitator.

The TFFA will also try to tighten cooperation with the ILO through a range of activities from joining training programmes and monitoring practices to sending reports to the organisation, which is an agency of the United Nations.

Concerning the issue of child and forced labour, which the US will also review for a possible TIP revision this September, the TFFA has worked with local and national authorities to improve and monitor workplaces along the supply chain. Any member found violating the code of ethics will be expelled, which means it cannot export any longer.

Somsak Paneetatyasai, president of the Thai Shrimp Association, said Thai shrimp exported to the US must be farm-raised, so no forced labour is involved. Aquaculture is much more efficient than capturing from the wild, resulting in lower costs both in monetary terms and resource consumption.

Shrimp farmers provide full supply-chain traceability. Farm operations are also audited for good aquaculture practices, mainly out of environmental concerns.

Boontham Aramsiriwat, secretary-general of the Thai Feed Mill Association, said not more than 350,000 tonnes of shrimp feed was annually sold to farmers. This translates to 100,000 tonnes of fishmeal needed as ingredients along with soybean meal.

The feed-meal producers buy fishmeal from traceable producers. By nature, feed-mill operations are not labour-intensive, relying instead on heavy machinery.

Sanguansak Akaravarinechai, president of the Thai Fishmeal Producers Association, said materials going into fishmeal production came from fish-processing plants as well as from local catches. Although 80 per cent of workers in the fishmeal industry are aliens, they are legally registered and treated by employers as well as Thai workers.

Chanintr Chalisarapong, president of the Thai Tuna Industry Association, said Thailand was one of the major suppliers of tuna to the US. He is confident in the industry's labour practices.

The US will not sanction Thailand over the labour issue and will continue to trade and cooperate with the Kingdom, he believes.

Ajva Taulananda, vice chairman of CP Group, said: "The US action to downgrade Thailand to Tier 3 will have a minimal effect as it only affects some parts of the fishing industry. The Charoen Pokphand Group wants to support any measures against any wrongdoings that concern the industry."

US President Barack Obama has 90 days to consider whether to proceed with any sanctions against Thailand or let the country correct the problems in question.


-- The Nation 2014-06-25

[ClutchClark]

Wal-Mart is no stranger to slave labor accusations:

http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/lwp/NLC_childlabor.html

"According to a National Labor Committee 2006 report, an estimated 200 children, some 11 years old or even younger, are sewing clothing for Hanes, Wal-Mart, J.C. Penney, and Puma at the Harvest Rich factory in Bangladesh.

The children report being routinely slapped and beaten, sometimes falling down from exhaustion, forced to work 12 to 14 hours a day, even some all-night, 19-to-20-hour shifts, often seven days a week, for wages as low as 6 ½ cents an hour. The wages are so wretchedly low that many of the child workers get up at 5:00 a.m. each morning to brush their teeth using just their finger and ashes from the fire, since they cannot afford a toothbrush or toothpaste.

The workers say that if they could earn just 36 cents an hour, they could climb out of misery and into poverty, where they could live with a modicum of decency.

In the month of September, the children had just one day off, and before clothing shipments had to leave for the U.S. the workers were often kept at the factory 95 to 110 hours a week. After being forced to work a grueling all-night 19-to-20-hour shift, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. the following day, the children sleep on the factory floor for two or three hours before being woken to start their next shift at 8:00 a.m. that same morning.

The child workers are beaten for falling behind in their production goal, making mistakes or taking too long in the bathroom (which is filthy, lacking even toilet paper, soap or towels)."

[chooka]

Yes a planned and organised inspection, what is that going to achieve?

What's in this room? Nothing to see in there, just an empty room and we lost the key years ago so we can't open it, now we have prepared a lovely seafood lunch for you all free of charge for our friends and guests, then we will have someone drive you home.

[UbonRatch]

I think he missed one important point.

It's not the factories or fishmeal processing those ruddy 'farang' are interested in...

He sure skipped local catches rather quickly!!

[TimCM]

Yes come and inspect. Sadly this will likely mean a few slaves are thrown overboard in preparation.

Of coarse, if we don't like your findings, you can't go home as we will file deformation charges on you.

[NongKhaiKid]

" We dare to challenge NGOs ... "

Just remember to make sure you know exactly how many people will be conducting inspections at any given time so you can make sure your own people vastly outnumber them.

The Marquis of Queensberry rules, Thai style.

[jonclark]

Let them inspect the boats whilst the boats are at sea - That is where the slavery is - not the factories.

[bangkokheat]

its always easier to hide stolen goods when you know when the cops are coming

[Bluespunk]

"We dare to challenge NGOs and are willing to invite our customers to audit our factories and reveal information about employment,"

Yeah right, look what happened to the guy who did that with the Burmese fruit workers. Still being prosecuted I believe.

Besides the Guardian has already done this, or did that escape your attention?

Edited June 25, 2014 by Bluespunk

[Chang_paarp]

All these actions may help next years report but they need to address the items listed as a problem in the current report. I wonder if the folk spouting the horror at the report have actually read it, not just the news reports.

They don't seem to get that the report is written and released for 2014. Data collecting has started for 2015 when the next report is written. It is not a Thai report that can be recalled and edited.

[Baerboxer]

its always easier to hide stolen goods when you know when the cops are coming

Many years ago I worked for a manufacturing company that was certified as a supplier to the UK Ministry of Defense. Usually 4-6 people came to do their audits from different a mixture of departments and functions. We "prepared' all sorts of things for their visit. All nonsense but they kept passing us. Senior management insisted the audit was passed and the quality status maintained, but didn't really care how it was.

Thailand didn't invent this and don't have a monopoly on it.

[Chris Lawrence]

Who are the owners of these fishing companies?

[Thai at Heart]

The point is, the judgement has been made. They are now guilty.

It is THEIR job to find a way to PROVE that the entire supply chain is clean and weigh the risks of how they operate and include in the supply chain.

They know which boat fleets are good and bad. They have to stick their noses into each others businesses to check that each other are complying. Words just ain't enough any more.

Headcounts, time sheets, visa docs and payroll slips for the boats would be a start.

Edited June 25, 2014 by Thai at Heart

[spidermike007]

The coalition emphasised that the US decision to downgrade Thailand was unfair. The Thai industry wants the truth to be told - that there is no slavery involved in the shrimp supply chain.

Do you feel the sensation of hot smoke near your butt? It is a feeling I have become very accustomed to. I know when someone is blowing smoke up my butt. No slavery at all. No problems at all. We are a perfect industry, and have no need for reform, or improvement. We treat all the immigrant workers very well. They eat lobster, som tam with blue crab, and grilled squid every day, and they sleep in lovely suites on the boat. Plus, they get pensions, high salaries, free tickets home to Burma annually, health insurance and dental. We are very kind to them.

[Thai at Heart]

Give it a week.

The company that can provably clean its act up first will get all the business. No honor among thieves and all.

[toybits]

This only works the inspections are made at random.

[toybits]

Besides, all of those illegal workers are now in Cambodia. So who is the Thai Fishing Industry trying to hoodwink now?

[Thai at Heart]

This only works the inspections are made at random.

He doesn't get it.

The Thais have to prove that they can self regulate themselves. How they are going to do that with thainess is going to be very interesting to watch

[UbonRatch]

Besides, all of those illegal workers are now in Cambodia. So who is the Thai Fishing Industry trying to hoodwink now?

Don't believe that for a second. They are still out there, slaved away, after many years. Seas are big places. Planes can get lost in them, you know.

[Brian Corrigan]

When are Thais going to start taking responsibility for their actions. Like school children the are constantly in denial and looking for any excuse to blame any one but themselves. For Christ sake cut out this so called "Thai ness"Mai Pen Rai and all the other bull shit and start admitting you have faults,like everyone else.Perhaps then foreign Governments will take you seriously and understand your position.Get off your lazy backsides,take action,and join the human race.

[Ulic]

Enough denial, put in some enforcement programs and walk the walk, don't just talk the talk.

[fab4]

This is either a normal SNAFU moment for The Nation or they are trying to sneak it in so that nobody would notice. The text under the photo reads:

Acting Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow speaks during a news conference at the Foreign Ministry in Bangkok June 24, 2014. Sihasak dismissed the resistance group, telling reporters there was "only one legitimate government".

Well, that's one way of looking at it................

Edited June 25, 2014 by fab4

[zyphodb]

Speachless.....