General Secretary from Yaung Chi Oo Workers’ Association interviewed by DVB ~ Yaung Chi Oo Workers' Association

Tuesday, July 05, 2016

I want to tell that when we make migrant workers’ policy, look at the perspective from human rights (Humanities ground) and local countries should force MOU to make human rights policies.

Oo Moe Swe, General Secretary of Yaung Chi Oo Workers’ Association

Question: Please, tell me about the conditions of Burmese workers in Thailand.

Answer: Sure, there are three types of Burmese workers in Thailand. There are 1.7 million who come with legal passport, MOU. Another one is One Stop Service(OSS). Thailand has a one system that is making Pink Card for who do not make others legal card or document. Some workers work with Pink card. The last one is National Verification(NV) system that is making passport for workers who have been living for years. There are over 2 million for NV system. Most of workers work in Factories and industries. Some works in fishing and plantation. Moreover, some works in restaurants and in domestic. I can say that there are three difficulties for workers. The main one is legal documents problem. As I told you before, there are three type of documents. However, workers are not able to do by themselves. The processes are complicated. They cannot give time for that. Therefore, they have to find agencies. Even employers do not want to be busy. Therefore, they make legal documents with brokers for workers. That’s why it costs a lot. This is one thing. The second one is that employers do not make any card for workers because they do not want to be busy. The last one is Thai government’s attitude for Myanmar workers. They have changed a change often. Therefore, some workers are not able to make document on time so that became legal to illegal. After that, they face difficulties for transportation. Because of being illegal, the employers break labor rights because they know workers are illegal. The second one is that there are official workers law in Thailand. There are workers’ rights and defensive law for workers. It is called BE 2541. Every workers belong to these rights whether they are illegal or not. Even government announced officially. As for example, the official wage is one day for 300 baht. However, most workers do not receive 300 baht. They are not able to receive Official wage. Another one is work time. Myanmar workers want to work from 8am to 9 pm or 10. There are work time 12 hours at least. Moreover, in some factories, workers have to work for the whole week without holiday even in Sunday. Only on Sunday, they can take a break after 5 pm. They have only one holiday in one month. Our workers are being broken their rights. What’s more, being broken human rights, extortion and being accused. Those are the difficulties workers have been facing in Thailand.

Question: So, Workers have been accused, threaten, and extorted. So, what Yaung Chi Oo Workers’ Association do for them?

Answer: Yes, there are five main type that we help for workers. As for No.1, we have Legal Aid section. If workers inform us about being accused, threaten, extorted, being broken rights, compensation, and wounds, we cooperate with Thai Labor Protection legally for them. We claim for their rights and compensation. The another one is that we gave training for workers. Most of workers are not able to speak and read Thai. In Thailand, they have law concerning about migrant workers. To be aware of these laws for workers, we give training. Sometimes, Thai government announced about workers. That announcement is about workers’ law and prohibitions. Moreover, the processes of renewing their documents and information will be included in monthly Yaung Chi Oo Workers’ Association journal. In journal, we describe the conditions of workers around Thailand and international workers’ news. We are publication and we distribute for our workers around Thailand. The next one is that we celebrate religious tasks with workers altogether. The main target is to help workers from being broken rights. Started from 2000 to 2016, the cases are over 250. For workers 3000, we worked to get compensation over Thai Baht 60 million.

Question: This coming 23 to 25, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will come to Thailand. While she is here, she will meet with migrant workers. What do you want to state if you have to meet with her?
Answer: Yeah, she is our leader, advisor, and foreign minister. She comes and visit here, Thailand. I am really glad that she will meet with workers. Firstly, we warmly welcome Aung San Suu Kyi for her trip in here. If I could meet her, I would like to state about contrast, MOU between Thailand and Myanmar. In 2013, Myanmar agreed to send legal migrant workers to Thailand. But, we want them to revise this contrast. We want them to analyze. If we can change in MOU, the issue is workers’ card or document. We want them to discuss about it very well. The another important one is the freedom of trip in MOU. But, workers in Thailand is facing transportation problem. As a result, we want government to make sure about that in MOU. The next one is that when we make migrant workers’ policy, look at the perspective (Humanities ground) and local countries should force MOU to make human rights policies. As for second one, Thai government should state clearly when they make workers, especially migrant workers’ affair. For example, the main thing for migrant workers is legal document. MOU system or NV and other systems have been changed from time to time. They change announcement for workers often. Producers and welfares have been

changed. As policies are not stable, our workers have faced many problems. Especially, the document’ cases are not stable and clear. Moreover, some of Burmese brokers want to get benefit on workers. That’s why it becomes a Big burden or obstacles. Some of Myanmar workers have passport with MOU. The limitation is 4 years and 6 years. If the passport is expired, workers can expand and they can only pink card according Thai policy. Because of this Policy, workers’ right will be ignored and workers will be threatened for their rights. Thai government should discuss about their policies to be stable and clear. When they implement workers’ policies, Workers Minister Office, Workers Affair Office, Polices, and Immigration office should push relevant countries. For example, if workers have legal documents and work permit, they can transport from place to place in policy. However, in reality if they transport with legal document, they are stopped or arrested and robbed illegally. The next one is that the employers do not give official wage. I want to state that relevant office should watch. Especially, when the workers’ rights and human rights are being broken, I want Thai government to have complain mechanism for a charge officially. In Myanmar side, there are many agencies send many workers to foreign countries. But, do they work inside law? Some companies agree with workers that the place workers can work, jobs option, and wages. However, in reality, it is very different. Although agencies said that it is working in factories; it changes like construction or others in reality. Then, they said that workers are paid official wages but it did not happen. Even if workers arrived here, they had to contract with employer. After that, agencies said that they will not take any responsible if the problems happen between employer and employee. Moreover, if the problems happen, the workers were sent to Myanmar back. As a result, it costed a lot for legal passport, document, and work permit. when the workers were called back Thailand, workers have to make legal document and others. Some companies in Myanmar do not work legally with workers’ rights. Therefore, Myanmar government should watch carefully these companies. If these companies are working on illegal ways, government should keep them in Black List.

Question: If Thailand is not our mother country, Myanmar workers are bullied. What about workers in Myanmar? How you see their situations?

Answer: In Myanmar, the new government’s age is not 100 days yet. They just start government’s machine. As we all know, the workers are established after 2010. Before that, there was not Labor Union under military government After 2010, official workers’ association, workers’ law and union were able to be instituted. But, Trade Union do not allow workers to create Labor Union. We can just create Basic Labor Organization. They cannot even use phrase of Labor Union. Sometimes, we use in public but not officially. Official minimum wages are stated recently. But, some factory gives but some not. Although factories give official minimum wage (3000) wage, they cancel some opportunities like transportation. Factory praised bonus before. But, after they have to give 3000 wage, employers do not support for other opportunities. Actually, workers should be go benefit others besides minimum wage. There are many things to negotiate for that. What I see is government should implement for workers to be able to get others welfare besides minimum wage.

Questions: What do you want to tell for migrant workers? For example, workers’ law? What workers should to avoid and hold for their transportation. What do you want to tell for Myanmar migrant workers?

Answer: In Thailand, many workers come from Maesot-Myawaddy borderline because they can come legally. And also, they can come with MOU system. Most workers want to go Bangkok or Maharchaing. To go there as quick as they could, they go with human traffickers and brokers. They have to give over 15000 Baht. Even MOU system does not cost that much. But, there are many week points in MOU system. As a result, some ladies were sold. Not even ladies, some men were sold for fishing. They had to work at there more than two or three years. That’s why if workers are going to come Thailand, they have be aware of the place they will work and legal documents. If they arrive Thailand, there are associations that are helping for workers. And also, there isMyanmar Embassy’s phone number and workers’ associations’ numbers. Some workers come and work in Thailand illegally with brokers. Mainly, what I see is workers are very familiar with brokers. For example, brokers persuaded workers sold at factories or others place. Myanmar sell Myanmar workers. Karen sell Karen. Mon sell Mon workers. But, workers know who they are and familiar with them. What I want to massage them is that don’t be so afraid and contact relevant associations quickly if there are some problems. They have to run andcontact quickly. Myanmar people are not united especially in Bangkok and Southern cities. In the past, military government used discrete polices between ethnicities. When they do not trust each other, the clusters form such as Mon ethnicity only accepts Mon. Karen people only accepts Karen. Htawal people only accepts Htawal and so on. They are not united and organized especially in big cities in Thailand. Being ununited is the consequence of Myanmar politic. It is vulnerable to be broken workers’ rights. If workers are united and not racism, it will be very difficult for employers to harm workers. We can protect from being harmed by being united. We are migrant workers in Thailand. What I want to tell is that we need to unite, help and organize each other.