Before commencing trade talks EU urged to demand tougher Thai safeguards for labor rights
Last updated on November 2nd, 2020 at 09:20 am
Citing poor commitment from Thailand for ensuring safe working conditions for labors and ensuring safeguarding their labor rights, rights activists and groups have urged the European Union to ensure Thailand strengthens its labor laws before entering into trade talks with the country.
Following Thailand’s military coup in 2014 trade talks were halted. However, last year the EU agreed to resume the talks with Thailand, signaling of scrutinizing country’s attempts and record of keeping a check on labour exploitation.
Thailand has a fundamental problem with impunity to abuse rights
Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch
The group is among 45 entities that have signed a letter which was submitted to Brussels on Wednesday.
“Not only are the labor laws weak, but they are poorly enforced and organizations that could help workers resist, like labor unions, are actively destroyed through a nexus of employer and government official connivance,” Robertson said to Reuters.
Thailand’s Department of Labour Protection and Welfare has refrained to comment presently but has assured to amend laws to support labor rights in the country.
A European Commission spokeswoman has confirmed receiving the letter and has said Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis will look closely at human and labor rights before entering trade relations with non-EU nations. The letter has been signed by 28 signatories that include trade unions and companies like Nestle, the Swiss food giant, and Tesco, the British supermarket chain. The signatories have said that Thai labor laws are far below the global standards in relation to freedom of association and collective bargaining. They have also criticized and called out Thailand’s record on forced labor, discriminating against migrant workers and placing curbs on the freedom of association.
Rights groups have urged the EU to ask for confirmed measures to protect the labor in Thailand by its government as a precondition before resuming the trade talks.
EU trade talks with Thailand should not resume until Thailand lifts bans on migrant worker organizing and limitations on strikes and end judicial harassment of trade unions and labor rights defenders
Kimberly Rogovin, a coordinator for Global Labor Justice – International Labor Rights Forum, a workers’ rights organization
Essentially, is even any part of Syria safe for deportation? The question has come up for an intense debate after…
It's official! Prominent k-pop group BLACKPINK's Lisa is the latest addition to the line-up for the 2024 Global Citizen Festival.…
Loans to pay, putting children into college, and house mortgage – many people take up a second job alongside their…
In a remarkable move, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez recently announced that Spain and Palestine are ready to hold their…
Rebecca Cheptegei, 33, finished 44th in the marathon at the recent Paris Olympics. But her former boyfriend targeted her after…
The 25-year-old young and techie entrepreneur Kritarth Mittal is the founder of the app named “Soshals app” which is a…
This website uses cookies.
Read More