Labor policy and administration

The persistence of dangerous and demeaning forms of work remains a major challenge for the Cambodia’s development, according to the UN’s annual Human Development Report (HDR) launched on 14 December by the United Nations Development Programme. Dubbed “Work for Human Development”, the 2015 report finds the Asia-Pacific region home ...

Pervasive human trafficking has helped turn Thailand into one of the world’s biggest shrimp providers. Despite repeated promises by businesses and government to clean up the country’s US$7 billion seafood export industry, an Associated Press investigation has found shrimp peeled by modern-day slaves is reaching ...

Thai Union Group Plc, one of the world’s largest seafood producers, will stop using subcontractors for shrimp pre-processing and will bring all operations in-house in order to improve worker protection. “From 1 January 2016 onwards, all processing work will be directly controlled by Thai Union, ensuring ...

A Labour Ministry official on 9 December called out international clothing brands for not fulfilling a pledge last year to increase the amount they pay for clothing to support minimum wage rises in Cambodia’s garment sector, according to a statement. Labour Ministry spokesman Heng Sour was speaking ...

A migrant rights network has appealed to the Myanmar and Thai governments to reach a solution on a worker registration standoff, and to take steps to alleviate the exploitation of workers by brokers. The call comes as the two sides prepare to meet in Thailand on ...

The government has agreed to delay the passage of a controversial law governing the trade union sector, announcing it would set up a national workshop to work out the legislation’s thornier clauses on 15 December. The decision comes after repeated protestations from a coalition of 23 ...

Vietnamese migrant workers in Thailand are allowed to register for temporary work permits at the country’s provincial labour departments from 1-30 December, according to the Thai Ministry of Labour. The ministry said on 30 November that the 30-day expansion for Vietnamese guest workers (excluding their companies) aims ...

Some 25 Lao labour inspectors were trained on new labour law tools in Vientiane to help them educate workers and managers about their workplace rights and obligations on 26 November in Vientiane. The tools and related training programme were developed by the government with support of ...

The United States will review Thailand’s eligibility for trade benefits after complaints that the country is not properly protecting workers’ rights, the US Trade Representative said. Keep reading ...

Migrants processing Thai chicken for its biggest export market, Europe, face widespread abuse by their employers, partly because foreign auditors have focused on food safety rather than workers’ conditions, researchers said on 25 November. Chicken is set to become the world’s most consumed meat, within the ...