Breanna Fehr, April 24, 2008. 8:05 p.m. Labor Problems
The global shrimp industry is worth about $13 billion and is the most popular and widely traded seafood in the world. Thailand is the world’s largest exporter of shrimp. A human rights organization said that Workers in Southeast Asia’s shrimp industry suffer regular abuse and sometimes live in what amounts to virtual slavery. The Solidarity Center, an international nonprofit allied organization, says that sexual and physical abuse, debt bondage, child labor and unsafe working conditions are common in Thailand and Bangladesh’s shrimp processing factories.
The Thai police raided one factory in September 2006 when workers told them that if they made a mistake, asked for leave, or tried to escape than they could expect to be beaten, sexually molested, or publicly tortured. The plant has barbed-wire walls, an armed guard, and a closed-circuit television system. The owner of the factory was charged with some offenses but they were treated as first-time labor code violations. The owner paid a fine and than returned to work.
In April 2007 workers of the major Thai shrimp processing company spoke to Solidarity Center Partners about hazardous working conditions as well as an intimidating and discriminatory work environment. These along with forced overtime and wages not being paid, or unexplained deductions.
I like to hear that the workers have contacted The Solidarity Center to try and make things better. I can’t believe that the owner of the company was able to go back to work after all the violations he was convicted of (and even those he wasn’t). It seems that there would have been a harsher sanction rather than just paying a small fine. Also, with the past that the company has I would think that with just one complaint there should be an investigation. I hope that the Solidarity Center can help these workers gain their rights back.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/04/23/shrimp.workers.report/?iref=mpstoryview
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