Coup-anniversary bomb 'targets officers'

 May 23, 2017

Monday's blast at Phramongkutklao Hospital was heavily denounced while authorities said they believe it was linked to two previous explosions in Bangkok over the past two months. It comes as the government marked its third anniversary in power after the May 22, 2014, coup.

Political motivations and an operation of southern militants are among the leads authorities are investigating.
The explosion took place in the dispensary's waiting room, known as the Wongsuwon room, for commissioned officers at 10am. A total of 25 people were hurt, including one critically.
Speaking after a meeting of security officials Monday, army commander-in-chief Chalermchai Sitthisat said the attack was aimed at claiming lives as nails were attached to the explosive device.

"It's very bad. Even in a war, hospitals are exempt from attacks. This time, most victims were elderly and patients," he said.

The blast in front of the National Theatre near Sanam Luang on May 15 injured two women and an explosion outside the old Government Lottery Office on Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue on April 5 wounded two other women.
Gen Chalermchai said the two incidents were linked to the hospital bombing since the same materials were used to make the bombs. The group of attackers has not yet been identified, but the attack was aimed at causing trouble for the government. Armed forces have been ordered to step up security measures in crowded areas.
National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda echoed Gen Chalermchai. He said the "bomb signatures" were similar in all three blasts, including the soldering.
"The bomb used was a pipe bomb put inside a PVC tube that they placed inside a flower jar," he said.
Police have not yet found anyone hiding the bomb in the pot, as CCTV footage was still being reviewed, Pol Gen Chakthip said.
Asked whether the attack was linked to the three year anniversary of the coup, the police chief said he had no information about this, but the attackers bear ill will towards the country.
Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was informed about the incident by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and the army chief, adding the prime minister called for people not to panic.
"The premier has ordered state agencies to provide the best care for the injured and find out who was behind the incident," said Lt Gen Sansern said.
Gen Prawit expressed confidence police will apprehend the bombers quickly. "The government will make everything better. The perpetrators were bad to do something like this. Even attacks in the three southern border provinces were not carried out like this ... in hospitals."

A witness, Sapaspimol Singsuwan, said she heard a blast, followed by screams. She said she saw scores of people injured and smoke filling the air.
Deputy national police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul, who inspected the blast scene, said traces of electric circuitry, wires, battery and nails were found.
Explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technicians have not yet concluded what kind of bomb materials were used to make the bomb but it was designed to cause damage in a 2-3 metre radius of the blast, Pol Gen Srivara said. A security source said the bomb was a low-pressure type with metal scraps and nails.
Of the 25 injured, 13 had been discharged, said Lt Gen Saroj Keokajee, commander of the Army Medical Department. An elderly woman was badly hurt with wounds to her cheek and she would need an operation, he said. Of the wounded, 13 were both service and retired military officers, 11 were civilians and one was a police officer.
A hospital source said the explosion took place in the room for VIPs on the first floor. The room serves as a one-stop service spot for commissioned officers and their families.
It is close to a medicine dispensing room where ordinary patients can wait to receive medicine. Ordinary people can possibly enter the VIP room, the source said.
Meanwhile, the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) has denied any involvement in the bombing. "The attack was barbaric. We are not afraid of being implicated because we have nothing to do with it," UDD chairman Jatuporn Prompan said.
The blast has done no good to anyone and is detrimental to the country, he said, urging authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice. Thais should denounce the attackers since hospitals must not come under attack, he said.
Meanwhile, Thavorn Senneam, a core leader of the now-defunct People’s Democratic Reform Committee, believed the explosion was politically motivated.
"The attack was perpetrated by those opposing the government," said Mr Thavorn, adding they aimed to discredit the regime.
Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, a key figure of the Pheu Thai party, said: "The attack is inhuman and the perpetrators had ill intentions anyway and wanted to leave it as a message."
Meanwhile, Human Rights Commissioner Angkana Neelapaijit denounced the violence.
"I want to condemn the use of medical facilities as a place to stage an attack," Ms Angkana said. "The assault at the hospital breaches international humanitarian law.
Meanwhile, the bomb attack caused no panic among investors on the stock market. The Stock Exchange of Thailand main index climbed 0.52%, or 8.09 point, to 1,557.73.
 
Credit: Bangkok Post

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Thailand has no immediate plan to suspend Facebook: regulator

 May 17,2017

Thailand has no immediate plan to block access to Facebook, the telecoms regulator said on Tuesday, as it expects the social media giant to comply with court orders for the removal of content deemed to threaten national security.
In a move to censor criticism in the junta-run country, the telecoms regulator had set Facebook a Tuesday deadline to take down 131 web addresses with content it saw as threatening security or violating strict lese majeste laws.
Last week’s threat prompted a flurry of concern in the Southeast Asian country — one of Asia’s most active on Facebook — that the site would be blocked.
However, there would be no immediate measures to block Facebook, Takorn Tantasith, secretary-general of Thailand’s telecoms commission, told reporters, adding that bureaucracy had held up the process of removing the 131 impugned content items.
“We have the necessary documents from the court to block 34 URLs now,” Takorn said, following a visit to the head office of a grouping of internet providers in Thailand to check if Facebook had complied with the authorities’ removal request.
“Facebook has cooperated well in terms of taking steps to block the URLs that we asked them to in the past,” he added.
“If they cooperate, then there will be 97 URLs left which we have asked the court to issue warrants to block.”
Facebook did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the matter.
The head of the service providers’ association, which groups 19 landline and mobile ISPs and international gateway operators covering 90 percent of Thailand, also told reporters there was no plan to block access yet.
“We haven’t discussed that action to shut down Facebook,” said Morakot Kulthamyothin, president of the Thai Internet Service Provider Association (TISPA).
All 131 sites were still accessible after the deadline expired on Tuesday, the provider added.
Since the military took power in a coup in 2014, Thailand’s government has ramped up online censorship, particularly against material perceived to insult the monarchy.
Last month, Thailand also banned citizens from any contact online with three vocal critics of the monarchy.
The junta’s latest attempt to block content would not achieve much, said Pavin Chachavalpongpun of Kyoto University, one of the three critics.
“The government will achieve little from the current ban,” Pavin told Reuters.
“If Facebook complies, it will be condemned by the international community. If Facebook ignores the request, then I guess the government will prove to the public that it is serious about this — expect more arrests of those who follow me.”
Facebook has said its general guideline on receiving government requests to remove content is to determine whether the material violates local laws before restricting access.
In 2016, Facebook blocked 50 pieces of content found to have violated the lese majeste law, following government requests.
Since taking power, the military government has made increasing use of the royal insult law, which can carry a penalty of up to 15 years for each offence, against critics.
Days after the May 2014 coup, the ministry of information and communications technology blocked access to Facebook temporarily, saying the military had ordered suspension of content critical of its actions.
The junta denied ordering the step.
Credit: DVB

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Cambodia orders wage rise for garment workers

Phnom Penh - The Cambodian government told garment manufacturers on Thursday to raise the minimum wage paid to employees in one of the country's key industries, a move that will see basic pay rise from 61 to 75 dollars a month.

The announcement followed recent talks between unions and the Garment Manufacturers’ Association in Cambodia, a trade body. Talks stalled after some unions insisted on a monthly wage of 100 dollars. Manufacturers had refused to pay more than 70 dollars.

Ath Thorn, the president of the Cambodian Labour Confederation, a grouping of independent unions, said he was not satisfied with the 14-dollar per month raise, but would take it to the confederation’s 83,000 members to hear their thoughts.//DPA

"The (offered) amount is still too small, and it’s not enough to feed the workers and to meet their other (requirements)," he said. "I’m not sure what my members will say, but I will talk to them and if they are satisfied, then it’s OK." The pay rise is scheduled to come into effect on May 1. When combined with a statutory five-dollar health payment, workers wille arn 80 dollars before overtime.

Credit - The Nation

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Malaysia: Minimum wages for all

Malaysian trade unions and civil society called on the Malaysian government to withdraw the recent cabinet decision that allow the employer to deduct from the migrant workers’ wages of the amount employer paid to the government to employ foreign workers. In July 2012 the Malaysian government announced that workers in Malaysia would receive minimum wages of RM 900[USD291] (for Peninsular Malaysia) and RM800 [USD259] (for Sabah and Sarawak). The announcement came into force from 1 January 2013. The minimum wage is a basic wage excluding overtime, existing allowances and other benefits. However, to avoid paying minimum wages some employers calculate other benefits as part of minimum wage and some force workers to sign that they received minimum wages, while actually paying them less. As large number of workers work on short term-employment contracts, with the fear of non-renewal of contract, they do not speak for their rights. In addition the Malaysian Government through its Minimum Wages (Amendment) Order on 28 December 2012, allowed employers to apply for the right to be exempted from paying the minimum wages. Through this more than 500 employers got the right to delay paying the minimum wages. However, in this process the government did not provide space for the involvement of workers or their trade union before processing the application of employers. In case of levy on foreign workers, the government earlier allowed employers to deduct from wages of the foreign workers to recover expenses made by the employer for employing the foreign worker including the levy paid to the government. However, the government stopped this practice from 1 April 2009. Once again on 30 January 2013 the Malaysian cabinet decided to allow employers of migrant workers to recover the levy they pay the government by deduction of wages of migrant workers. In a joint statement released on 5 February 2013, trade unions and civil society activists expressed serious concern that the government’s move towards reintroducing the provision would merely shift the burden on to migrant workers. In an appeal to the Malaysian government, 75 civil society organizations and trade unions across the world stated, “that all workers, including migrant workers, are entitled to receive minimum wages, whereby this is the basic wage and should not include allowances, benefits and other work incentives. Employers should not be permitted to remove pre-April 2012 worker entitlements and benefits, being the date the Minimum Wage Order 2012 came into force, from existing and subsequent employment contracts.” They called on the Malaysian government and to immediately withdraw the decision made by the Malaysian cabinet and end all forms of discrimination against workers. Credit to IAGU

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South African union slams minimum wage compliance criticism

The South African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (Sactwu) has taken issue with a report by the Centre for Development Enterprises that claims efforts to establish minimum wage compliance in the clothing sector is destroying the sector and resulting in massive job losses. The report asserts that the clothing sector provides an example of how sector labour market institutions and industrial policy creates collusion between government, trade unions and big business that adversely affects jobs in labour intensive sectors. The report criticises the tough stance taken by the clothing industry bargaining council to ensure that workers are paid the minimum wage. It was released about the same time that five small clothing companies are challenging having to comply with the legislated minimum wage. Andre Kriel, General Secretary of the South African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (Sactwu) has spoken out on the attack on minimum wages in the sector, which start at USD42 a week and even at the highest pay grade, clothing workers are the lowest in South Africa’s manufacturing sector. Kriel contests circulating information that the bargaining council intends to close down 450 factories for non wage compliance, which would result in 16,000 job losses. He reports that the council holds writs against 297 companies that employ 5,500 workers and that many of these companies are taking steps to become compliant. “The issue is not a trade off between jobs and decent work, almost as if the two issues are mutually exclusive. Competitive advantage cannot be based on illegality and a race to the bottom,” states Kriel. Kriel blames massive job losses in the sector on trade policies and a fast tracked tariff reduction regime introduced more than 15 years ago. Whilst this is true, it is no secret that many South African companies looking to escape minimum wages in the sector have relocated their operations. In Lesotho, a haven for such companies that is surrounded by South Africa on all sides, factory shells can’t be built fast enough for South African clothing companies that want to move in. Clothing workers in Lesotho are challenging their low wages. An IL0 study in 2011 showed that real wages had declined over a five year period and that the minimum wage in the clothing sector was below that of the general minimum wage in Lesotho. At the time minimum wage in the sector ranged from USD92 to USD113 a month according to job tasks. Unions demanded a massive increase of up to 172 per cent to USD238 a month and a massive stay away was orchestrated but secured a wage increase of less than 10 per cent. This seemingly unrealistic demand was supported by an ILO Living Wage study in 2012 and efforts continue in Lesotho to push up wages in the clothing sector, which if successful would erode Lesotho’s competitive advantage. There is no easy solution to achieving decent work in the clothing sector, which is characterised by unfair competition based on wage exploitation and the race to the bottom. In a globalized world, unions need to look beyond national labour legislation to protect wages in labour intensive sectors. International solidarity is required to address competition in the sector that drives down wages and maintains poor compliance with international labour standards. Credit to IAGU

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Workers on strike at Cerrejón in Colombia

Workers at Carbones del Cerrejón, represented by their union, Sintracarbón, have begun a strike for improved working conditions. Negotiations failed to reach an agreement and the interim settlement deadline passed without the company making an acceptable offer. After negotiations ended without an agreement, 98 per cent of Carbones del Cerrejón workers, members of Sintracarbón, voted to go on strike. Sintracarbón, an IndustriALL affiliate, has been negotiating a list of demands since the end of last year with the transnational companies BHP Billiton, Xstrata and Anglo American. With more than 50 million members throughout the world, IndustriALL has followed these negotiations, supported the workers and called on the companies to immediately accept their just demands. On receiving news of the workers’ decision, the IndustriALL National Council in Colombia convened a meeting at the workers’ temporary camp so that affiliated unions could show their solidarity and support for the striking workers. In a video conference, Assistant General Secretary, Fernando Lopes, reaffirmed IndustriALL’s decision at the world level to support the strike. In addition to calling for improvements in working conditions for directly employed workers at Carbones del Cerrejón, Sintracarbón is leading the fight to extend the freedom of association and the rights to collective bargaining and strike to outsourced workers. It is also helping to organise civic committees to defend the region's water resources and supporting a series of community struggles in Guajira department, in the north of the country. Credit to Industriall global union

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60,000 workers march through Mexico City

The 31 January mass demonstration brought together working people and activists from many sectors including mining, energy, aviation, teaching, telephone and agriculture calling for a new economic and political direction for Mexico. The 60,000-strong mobilization denounced the injustice handed down by the country’s Supreme Court on 30 January against Mexico’s oldest democratic union the Mexican Electrical Workers’ Union (SME). That decision overruled an appellate court ruling taken in line with national labour legislation that clearly passes employer responsibility to a company that takes over operations of another company, as occurred for SME members. There is no way to interpret this unjust Supreme Court ruling that runs contrary to Mexican law, other than as an effort by the ruling elite to crush the SME electrical workers’ union. The SME General Secretary Martín Esparza in his address to the demonstration that climaxed in the national Zócalo plaza asked if marchers would accept the Supreme Court decision and give up their three-year struggle for reemployment. The loud, unified shout back was “NO!” Pressure is building on the new President Enrique Peña Nieto that his PRI Party government cannot continue the repressive policies of the previous PAN Party government and must end the establishment’s repression of social movements. A similar call for changes was made in a letter to the Mexican President sent by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and all Global Unions on 6 February 2013. The ground is prepared for a strong Global Days of Action for workers’ rights in Mexico on 18-24 February. IndustriALL Global Union affiliates around the world are linking up with trade unionists from other sectors to demonstrate the international indignation at the concerted union-busting in Mexico. Unified action in Mexico will be carried out by all democratic national unions, supported by international colleagues. Actions there will include a joint press conference, a public meeting, embassy visits, a solidarity caravan, a commemoration silent march in memory of the Pasta de Conchos victims, and a large-scale march through the capital. The Tri-National Solidarity Alliance of unions in Canada, Mexico and the US are playing a leading role in planning activities in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, New Orleans, New York, Ottawa, Portland, Raleigh, Seattle, Tucson, Vancouver, and Washington DC. Unite the Union in the UK is hosting a public meeting on 20 February in partnership with the TUC and other groups. See here the 6 February joint letter to President Enrique Peña Nieto from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and all the Global Union Federations. The four main demands of the Global Days of Action 2013 are: • Justice for the families of the 65 miners killed at Pasta de Conchos on 19 February 2006; • End the use of employer dominated protection contracts, which deny the worker the right to democratic representation and collective bargaining • Repeal of the Labour Law enacted on 1 December 2012 that encourage dismissal of union activists, increases subcontracting and lead to massive expansion of precarious employment • Reinstate unlawfully fired union activists from SME, PKC, Vidriera de Potosi/Grupo Modelo; Honda; Calzado Sandak /Bata and allow free and fair elections at PKC, Excellon, Honda, Atento. Credit to Industriall global union

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Migrant workers face atrocious conditions in Malaysian electronics plants

Migrant workers in the Malaysian electronics industry face atrocious conditions while making parts for brands such as Sony, Panasonic and Toshiba, according to new field research released 18 January 2103. Employed as outsourced labour, the migrant workers are heavily indebted by the time they start working because of extortionate fees of recruitment agencies. Migrant workers are paid less, sometimes even only half of what they were promised, by the agencies that recruited them, and deductions are made from wages without proper explanation. Workers undergo HIV testing as part of medical screening and women workers have to have mandatory pregnancy tests and are sent back home if they get pregnant. Contracts, if received at all, are often in a language not understood by the migrant workers, and migrants regularly work up to 72 hour per week. In addition, most workers interviewed had their passports held by the outsourcing agencies, to prevent them from leaving. These atrocious working conditions, along with other violations were found by recent field research presented in the makeITfair-report ‘Outsourcing Labour’, which was released by the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO) on 18 January 2013. Researchers in Malaysia interviewed over one hundred workers. The factories that were investigated provide parts for DVDs, cameras, and TVs, chips and remote controls to large brand names like Sony, Panasonic and Toshiba. These companies take inadequate steps to protect migrant workers in their supply chain, the research shows. The reseach found that labour rights violations are directly linked to the current outsourcing practices in Malaysia, where recruitment agencies increasingly act as direct employers, blurring employment relationships and obscuring responsibility for labour rights violations. Credit to IGU

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IndustriALL demands real action after fire in Bangladesh

7 die and 20 are injured in a blaze at a garment factory in Dhaka only two months after the tragic fire at Tazreen factory in November last year which took the lives of 112 people. The fire emerged during lunch time on 26 January at a small garment factory Smart Fashions in Bangladesh capital Dhaka. The 7 reported victims have all been identified and are all female workers between 15 to 28 years old. The factory is said to employ 300 workers. Reportedly, garments for some famous brands including Bershka and Lefties (Inditex), KIK, New Look, were found on site. Inditex says that it was not aware of an unauthorized subcontractor to an Inditex supplier with poor fire safety conditions. Inditex and IndustriALL Global Union have agreed on joint action based on their global framework agreement. It covers also suppliers and their subcontractors, which shall provide a safe and healthy workplace to their employees. The incident demonstrates the difficulties major companies have in controlling their global supply chains. Soon after the tragedy at Smart Garments, Inditex and IndustriALL exchanged information they received from their partners and affiliates in Bangladesh, and started working on a remediation action plan. A joint mission will arrive in Dhaka on Tuesday 5 February to examine the situation and discuss necessary measures to minimize the effects of the incident to the victims. Jyrki Raina, General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union commented, “It is with great sadness that we have learned of another fire incident that claimed the lives of seven young female colleagues in the garment sector and caused injuries to many other workers. As in the Tazreen Fashion case, poor safety conditions resulted in a tragedy at Smart Fashion. Our deepest condolences go to the families of the perished and injured workers.” “Industriall Global Union is calling for urgent and serious action to prevent further tragedies. We invite all major international brands, national employers and the government of Bangladesh to start an urgent discussion with us on a concrete plan of action. It must include strict health and safety regulations, efficient inspection and union participation in workplace cooperation, ensuring freedom of association in line with internationally recognized ILO labour standards, and a program to raise minimum wages to at least living wage levels in the country,” added Raina. Over 4,500 factories operate in the garment sector of Bangladesh. Working conditions remain poor and the wage for most workers amounts to 3000 BDT ($38 US) per month making it only one third of a living wage in Bangladesh. After years of service, based on seniority, a worker can eventually reach 5,500 BDT (approximately $70 US). Very few factories are unionized, despite the effort of trade unions to get registration enabling them to conduct collective bargaining. In the Dhaka region out of 26 unions fulfilling the condition of majority representation at the enterprises only one has so far received official registration enabling them to bargain collectively. Hence the difficulty for the workers to raise their concerns on safety to a trusted entity: a union which could bargain with the employers on safety issues among others. Prior to the incident, on 23 January, Monika Kemperle, Assistant General Secretary of IndustriALL met with the buyers’ representatives in Bangladesh where both recognized the importance of engaging all stakeholders for a common approach and that the government takes primary responsibility in ensuring the safety of the workers. Together with affiliates IndustriALL will join an ILO Conference promoting fundamental principles and rights at work which will take place on 3 to 4 February in Dhaka. This conference will serve to make strategic planning and to analyze needs and build capacity of garment sector trade unions in Bangladesh. Credit to Industri all

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5,000 Jakarta workers rally for wages

Trade unions led 5,000 workers in a mass rally in Jakarta on 16 January denouncing the government’s decision to exempt over 900 companies from paying the increased minimum wages as agreed in November 2012. The 16 January 2013 rally marched from in front of Jakarta`s Metropolitan Police Office at 9am to the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources’ and then to the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration (Ministry of Labour). The police and military deployed 9,000 officers to oversee the demonstration. The second demand of the rally was for government to block the proposed increase to electricity prices that will drastically reduce workers’ purchasing power. A month after Indonesian unions mobilized 3 million workers in massive rallies on 3 October 2012 the Jakarta minimum wage was set to be raised from US$157 to US$230 for the year 2013. Around 986 companies, mostly in the shoes, garment and textile industries have since sent letters to the Labour Ministry asking to be exempt from paying the new minimum wage until next year at least, and 46 labour-intensive firms already have approval. Many of those 986 companies are continuing to use the military and yellow unions to intimidate workers from organizing into democratic unions. The powerful Federation of Indonesian Metal Workers' Union FSPMI led by president Said Iqbal mobilized thousands of metalworkers. Iqbal is also president of trade union confederation KSPI which also rallied members to the march. The new Indonesian workers' council MPBI, that united the country’s three major trade union confederations (KSPI, KSBSI, and KSPSI), also participated. Said Iqbal argues that the Ministry of Labour only has the right to grant exemptions to companies under one of two sets of circumstances. Either the company has been shown in an audit to have made a loss in each of the past two years, or that an agreement has been reached with workers to delay the salary increase. by Industrial Global Union

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The Philippines looks to protect its migrant workers

According to the International Labour Organization, there are more than 50 million domestic workers globally. Some of these workers are mistreated and there are also concerns over the amount of money they are paid. As a result, countries such as the Philippines, which has a large number of Filipinos working as domestic helpers in various countries, have been taking steps to try and protect their rights. Credit to BBC

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Migrant Workers' Centre urges flexibility in Change of Employer policy

SINGAPORE: The Migrant Workers' Centre has urged the government to be more flexible in allowing foreign workers to change employers. The centre's Chairman Yeo Guat Kwang told Channel News Asia that he is working with the Manpower Ministry to try and amend the policy. The Migrant Workers' Centre said last year it received about 1,500 complaints from foreign workers, mostly for salary arrears cases. Workers helping the Manpower Ministry with investigations are given a special pass to stay in Singapore under the Temporary Job Scheme. Under the scheme, workers serving as prosecution witnesses may be allowed to find temporary employment while their cases are being investigated. Migrant workers groups want the Temporary Job Scheme to be expanded to allow workers to remain in Singapore beyond the completion of their cases. Mr Yeo said workers who are waiting for their workplace injury compensation should also be allowed to stay. This, he said, could lead the way for a new transitional employment system for foreign workers. Mr Yeo said: "If you say the only way for the workers is to go back, for some cases, it's not fair because they've only been here for a few months. I think we should amend this to make it easier for workers who unfortunately fall victim to one of these disputes, will be able to find employment with another employer. "To me, I think it's good for the employer to employ these workers who are already here, rather than to go to the source country, and do a fresh recruitment, and these are workers who have already been here, we know how good their skills are." Mr Yeo explained that making the Change of Employers policy more flexible is also in line with the MWC's call to improve the quality of foreign workers. "At the end of the day, for us to be able to enable them to change employer and get re-employed, definitely this is a person that must have the right skill to work here," said Mr Yeo. In addition, the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics believes the restrictions of the Change of Employer policy do not favour these workers. The organization’s president Bridget Tan explained: "This is called the sponsorship system. A work permit holder is tied to the employer. The work permit holder if once he or she leaves the employer unless with the approval of the employer this work permit holder will have to go home, repatriated. " They find it difficult to enforce their rights under work permit conditions because they are so afraid and often threatened. Going home for many migrant workers whether domestic workers or foreign workers is not a choice for them because most of them are in debt to agents back home, money lenders back home. "And going back with nothing, with no hope and promise of another job and the chance to change employers, sometimes they allow themselves to be exploited." Ms Tan added workers are not allowed to change the industry they work in. She said: "For example, if you come in as a construction worker, you can only find a job as a construction worker even though you have qualification that can allow you to work for example, as a waiter but you cannot because you come in as a construction worker, you have to be a construction worker. There are restrictions." President of the Association of Employment Agencies, K Jayaprema said employers have concerns with a more flexible policy. Mr Jayaprema said: "When such transfers kick in, if the employees are not very responsible, the employer might be stranded without a workforce because employees do have a tendency to be working in one company, train themselves up there and when there's opportunities in another company with a little bit of better salary, they move." Employers have to send their foreign workers back within seven days of the cancellation of their work permits or they could lose the S$5,000 security bond with the Manpower Ministry. Advocacy groups for migrant workers argue a more flexible change of employer policy would create greater mobility for workers. With this mobility, migrant workers will no longer be at the mercy of employers. There will be more incentive for employers to retain these workers, and treat them fairly. MPs are expected to raise questions on how the government can address the grievances of foreign workers at the next sitting of Parliament. Credit ot Channelnewasia

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36 foreign workers, including Indians, conned in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur: Thirty-six foreign workers, including Indians, have alleged that their Malaysian employer deducted between 80,000 rupees to a lakh for work permit fees. The workers from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have also alleged that they failed to obtain the permits and their salaries had also not been paid for two months by their employer, a maritime logistics company. The workers stopped going to work about two weeks ago and have lodged two police reports and gone to the Labour Department with their grouses. Darshan Singh from Punjab said that he wanted to seek employment elsewhere. "My family wants me to go home and get married but I can't leave as my passport is with the company's owner," 30-year-old Singh was quoted by the Star newspaper. An NGO central executive committee member K S Kottapan, who is helping them, claimed that the Immigration Department did not have any record of the workers' applications. The company's assistant operations manager said the agent helping to obtain the work permits had absconded with the money. "We went to his office to check on the status but he had vacated the place," he said, adding the company did not owe the workers' salary arrears. He claimed a second agent told them that the workers were allocated to other employers, adding that they needed time to sort the matter out. He claimed the company had suffered losses as the workers had not given any notice before stopping work. Credit to The Financial Express

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Thailand grants new delay for unregistered migrant workers

Thailand’s cabinet agreed to grant an additional three-month grace period to illegal migrant workers to stay in the kingdom so that they could complete their registration process. For Thailand’s estimated 2.5 million migrant workers, 2013 brings new bureaucratic hurdles, but a promise of a higher minimum wage as well. Government spokesman Tossaporn Serirak said the cabinet agreed with the proposal of the committee on migrant worker management to allow illegal migrants from Myanmar, the Lao PDR and Cambodia who have not yet registered legally, as well as their children aged below 15 years old, to stay in the kingdom for three more months.The cabinets decision, according to the spokesman, will allow illegal migrant workers to proceed with their requests for temporary passports or certificate of identity from their country of origin. Some 5.5 million people working in factories, trade and services sectors are entitled to receive the government’s minimum wage of Bt300/day, according to the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. More than one million workers from Myanmar are believed to have used the program but on December 14 the Thai government ordered that all registration centres close, warning that any remaining undocumented workers return to their home countries or face jail or deportation. So far there have been no reports of crackdowns or mass arrests, but the decision to close the centres has been perceived as a clear threat. Under the three-month period, Mr Tossaporn said, they are permitted to enter Thailand legally and can still work with the same employers, according to report by Thai News agency MCOT News. There are some 2.5 million migrant workers in Thailand About three quarters are from Myanmar, also known as Burma. Most are manual laborers — doing construction and agriculture around Chiang Mai, and fishing and factories elsewhere. Less than half of them met the deadline that would make them eligible for the new minimum wage, national health benefits and grant access to schools. For the 1.5 million workers who didn’t meet the deadline, there’s confusion. Thailand’s work force is comprised of a large number of migrant workers, some of whom are in the country illegally. But for those who can prove they’re in the country legally, they have the right to claim the 300 baht minimum wage, as well as access to government benefits. Some Thai businesses have reported possible labour shortage looms with Myanmar opening its economy. The construction, fishery and food industries will be the hardest hit as they rely heavily on migrant workers from Myanmar. Visit Limprana, president of the food-processing industry club at the Federation of Thai Industries, said to the Bangkok Post that the sector is short 20,000 to 30,000 workers, although hundreds of thousands of Myanmar labourers are already employed. On Jan. 1, the country’s minimum wage was raised to 300 baht — or about $10 per day. Migrant workers from neighboring countries like Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos make up as much as 10 percent of Thailand’s workforce. They should be eligible for the pay bump, if they can prove they’re in the country legally. It’s been reported that the government will extend the deadline, but at the same time the Thai government has threatened crackdowns and deportations. Thailand’s policy is evolving as the whole region prepares for 2015’s economic integration under ASEAN — a European Union-style collaboration between 10 southeast Asian countries. Integration will make moving between countries easier for some workers, although mostly in highly-skilled jobs. Credit to TBN

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Study: Global Domestic Workers Lack Legal Protections

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — A new study finds more than 52 million people around the world, mainly women, are employed as domestic workers and most lack legal protections. The report is the first research of its kind conducted by the International Labor Organization [ILO], and is a follow-up to the adoption of the ILO's Domestic Workers Convention in June 2011. The ILO reports most domestic workers experience poor working conditions and do not have adequate legal safeguards. ILO Deputy-Director General Sandra Polaski said domestic workers are particularly vulnerable to discrimination and other violations of their human rights at work. "Live-in domestic workers in particular are often exposed to physical, mental or sexual abuse and harassment and to restrictions on their freedom of movement. Migrant domestic workers face additional vulnerabilities to exploitation and abuse," she said. The report focuses on three aspects of working conditions for domestic workers. They include working time, minimum wage coverage and in-kind payments, and maternity protection. Legislation in most countries falls short of the necessary protections. The ILO finds that only 10 percent of all domestic workers are covered by general labor legislation to the same extent as other workers. More than one quarter are completely excluded from national labor legislation. It says more than half of all domestic workers have no legal limitation on their working hours and about 45 percent have no right to weekly rest periods or paid annual leave. It notes that slightly more than half of all domestic workers are entitled to a minimum wage and more than a third of women domestic workers have no maternity protection. Official statistics show Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean are the regions with the greatest number of domestic workers. The report says 7.5 percent of women globally perform domestic work. In the Middle East, it notes that one in three female wage earners is a domestic worker. The ILO considers the estimates in the report conservative. It says official national statistics don't capture the full picture. ILO Working Condition Specialist Martin Oetz said this is particularly the case for Africa where statistics show about 5.2 million domestic workers are employed throughout the region. He said the actual number is believed to be much higher. "This is often to do with the fact that domestic work and the services performed by domestic workers are not really perceived as work in an employment relationship, but other forms of arrangements," said Oetz. "This is why official data can be expected to underestimate or undercount domestic workers in Africa. But Africa is also a region where domestic work is widespread and very common." Of all the regions globally, the study notes Asia and the Middle East have the weakest protections for domestic workers. ILO officials say there is room, though, for optimism. They say the momentum created by the new ILO Domestic Workers Convention already has started to translate into concrete action and results in many ILO member states. They contend that reforms on domestic work have been achieved or are pending adoption in 13 countries. They include Austria, Bahrain, Brazil, Chile, India, Indonesia, Namibia, Paraguay, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam and Zambia. By Lisa Schlein Credit to Bangkokpost

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Fire Kills 112 Workers at Bangladesh Garment-Maker

Fire raced up the floors of a Bangladeshi garment factory with no emergency exits, killing at least 112 people, some of whom jumped from the eight-story building where they made clothes for major global retailers.
The factory outside the capital, Dhaka, is owned by Tazreen Fashions Ltd., a subsidiary of the Tuba Group, which makes products for Wal-Mart and other companies in the U.S. and Europe.
Firefighters recovered at least 100 bodies from the factory and 12 more people died at hospitals after jumping from the building to escape, Maj. Mohammad Mahbub, fire department operations director, told The Associated Press on Sunday.
“Had there been at least one emergency exit through outside the factory, the casualties would have been much lower,” Mahbub said.
Local media reported that up to 124 people were killed. The cause of the blaze that began late Saturday was not immediately clear, and authorities ordered an investigation.
Army soldiers and border guards were helping keep order as thousands of onlookers and anxious relatives of the factory workers gathered, Mahbub said.
Relatives of the workers frantically looked for their loved ones. Sabina Yasmine said she saw the body of her daughter-in-law, but had seen no trace of her son, who also worked there.
“Oh, Allah, where’s my soul? Where’s my son?” wailed Yasmine, who works at another factory in the area. “I want the factory owner to be hanged. For him, many have died, many have gone.”
(PHOTOS: Ferry Capsizes in Bangladesh)
Tazreen was given a “high risk” safety rating after a May 16, 2011, audit conducted by an “ethical sourcing” assessor for Wal-Mart, according to a document posted on the Tuba Group’s website. It did not specify what led to the rating.
Wal-Mart spokesman Kevin Gardner said online documents indicating an orange or “high risk” assessment after the May 2011 inspection and a yellow or “medium risk” report after an inspection in August 2011 appeared to pertain to the factory. The August 2011 letter said Wal-Mart would conduct another inspection within one year.
Gardner said it was not clear if that inspection had been conducted or whether the factory was still making products for Wal-Mart.
If a factory is rated “orange” three times in two years, Wal-Mart won’t place any orders for one year. The May 2011 report was the first orange rating for the factory.
Neither Tazreen’s owner nor Tuba Group officials could be reached for comment.
The Tuba Group is a major Bangladeshi garment exporter whose clients also include Carrefour and IKEA, according to its website. Its factories export garments to the U.S., Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands, among other countries. The Tazreen factory, which opened in 2009 and employed about 1,700 people, made polo shirts, fleece jackets and T-shirts.
Bangladesh has some 4,000 garment factories, many without proper safety measures. The country annually earns about $20 billion from exports of garment products, mainly to the U.S. and Europe.
In its 2012 Global Responsibility report, Wal-Mart said that “fire safety continues to be a key focus for brands and retailers sourcing from Bangladesh.” Wal-Mart said it ceased working with 49 factories in Bangladesh in 2011 because of fire safety issues, and was working with its supplier factories to phase out production from buildings deemed high risk.
Mahbub said the fire broke out on the ground floor, which was used as a warehouse, and spread quickly to the upper floors. Many workers who retreated to the roof were rescued, he said. But he said that with no emergency exits leading outside the building, many victims were trapped, and firefighters recovered 69 bodies from the second floor alone.
“The factory had three staircases, and all of them were down through the ground floor,” Mahbub said. “So the workers could not come out when the fire engulfed the building.”
Many victims were burned beyond recognition. The bodies were laid out in rows at a school nearby. Many of them were handed over to families; unclaimed victims were taken to Dhaka Medical College for identification.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed shock at the loss of so many lives.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association said it would stand by the victims’ families.

Credit to Time

Fire raced up the floors of a Bangladeshi garment factory with no emergency exits, killing at least 112 people, some of whom jumped from the eight-story building where they made clothes for major global retailers.

The factory outside the capital, Dhaka, is owned by Tazreen Fashions Ltd., a subsidiary of the Tuba Group, which makes products for Wal-Mart and other companies in the U.S. and Europe.
Firefighters recovered at least 100 bodies from the factory and 12 more people died at hospitals after jumping from the building to escape, Maj. Mohammad Mahbub, fire department operations director, told The Associated Press on Sunday.
“Had there been at least one emergency exit through outside the factory, the casualties would have been much lower,” Mahbub said.
Local media reported that up to 124 people were killed. The cause of the blaze that began late Saturday was not immediately clear, and authorities ordered an investigation.
Army soldiers and border guards were helping keep order as thousands of onlookers and anxious relatives of the factory workers gathered, Mahbub said.
Relatives of the workers frantically looked for their loved ones. Sabina Yasmine said she saw the body of her daughter-in-law, but had seen no trace of her son, who also worked there.
“Oh, Allah, where’s my soul? Where’s my son?” wailed Yasmine, who works at another factory in the area. “I want the factory owner to be hanged. For him, many have died, many have gone.”
(PHOTOS: Ferry Capsizes in Bangladesh)
Tazreen was given a “high risk” safety rating after a May 16, 2011, audit conducted by an “ethical sourcing” assessor for Wal-Mart, according to a document posted on the Tuba Group’s website. It did not specify what led to the rating.
Wal-Mart spokesman Kevin Gardner said online documents indicating an orange or “high risk” assessment after the May 2011 inspection and a yellow or “medium risk” report after an inspection in August 2011 appeared to pertain to the factory. The August 2011 letter said Wal-Mart would conduct another inspection within one year.
Gardner said it was not clear if that inspection had been conducted or whether the factory was still making products for Wal-Mart.
If a factory is rated “orange” three times in two years, Wal-Mart won’t place any orders for one year. The May 2011 report was the first orange rating for the factory.
Neither Tazreen’s owner nor Tuba Group officials could be reached for comment.
The Tuba Group is a major Bangladeshi garment exporter whose clients also include Carrefour and IKEA, according to its website. Its factories export garments to the U.S., Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands, among other countries. The Tazreen factory, which opened in 2009 and employed about 1,700 people, made polo shirts, fleece jackets and T-shirts.
Bangladesh has some 4,000 garment factories, many without proper safety measures. The country annually earns about $20 billion from exports of garment products, mainly to the U.S. and Europe.
In its 2012 Global Responsibility report, Wal-Mart said that “fire safety continues to be a key focus for brands and retailers sourcing from Bangladesh.” Wal-Mart said it ceased working with 49 factories in Bangladesh in 2011 because of fire safety issues, and was working with its supplier factories to phase out production from buildings deemed high risk.
Mahbub said the fire broke out on the ground floor, which was used as a warehouse, and spread quickly to the upper floors. Many workers who retreated to the roof were rescued, he said. But he said that with no emergency exits leading outside the building, many victims were trapped, and firefighters recovered 69 bodies from the second floor alone.
“The factory had three staircases, and all of them were down through the ground floor,” Mahbub said. “So the workers could not come out when the fire engulfed the building.”
Many victims were burned beyond recognition. The bodies were laid out in rows at a school nearby. Many of them were handed over to families; unclaimed victims were taken to Dhaka Medical College for identification.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed shock at the loss of so many lives.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association said it would stand by the victims’ families.

Read more: http://world.time.com/2012/11/25/112-dead-in-fire-at-bangladesh-garment-factory/#ixzz2DJ9CzTQE

Fire raced up the floors of a Bangladeshi garment factory with no emergency exits, killing at least 112 people, some of whom jumped from the eight-story building where they made clothes for major global retailers.

The factory outside the capital, Dhaka, is owned by Tazreen Fashions Ltd., a subsidiary of the Tuba Group, which makes products for Wal-Mart and other companies in the U.S. and Europe.
Firefighters recovered at least 100 bodies from the factory and 12 more people died at hospitals after jumping from the building to escape, Maj. Mohammad Mahbub, fire department operations director, told The Associated Press on Sunday.
“Had there been at least one emergency exit through outside the factory, the casualties would have been much lower,” Mahbub said.
Local media reported that up to 124 people were killed. The cause of the blaze that began late Saturday was not immediately clear, and authorities ordered an investigation.
Army soldiers and border guards were helping keep order as thousands of onlookers and anxious relatives of the factory workers gathered, Mahbub said.
Relatives of the workers frantically looked for their loved ones. Sabina Yasmine said she saw the body of her daughter-in-law, but had seen no trace of her son, who also worked there.
“Oh, Allah, where’s my soul? Where’s my son?” wailed Yasmine, who works at another factory in the area. “I want the factory owner to be hanged. For him, many have died, many have gone.”
(PHOTOS: Ferry Capsizes in Bangladesh)
Tazreen was given a “high risk” safety rating after a May 16, 2011, audit conducted by an “ethical sourcing” assessor for Wal-Mart, according to a document posted on the Tuba Group’s website. It did not specify what led to the rating.
Wal-Mart spokesman Kevin Gardner said online documents indicating an orange or “high risk” assessment after the May 2011 inspection and a yellow or “medium risk” report after an inspection in August 2011 appeared to pertain to the factory. The August 2011 letter said Wal-Mart would conduct another inspection within one year.
Gardner said it was not clear if that inspection had been conducted or whether the factory was still making products for Wal-Mart.
If a factory is rated “orange” three times in two years, Wal-Mart won’t place any orders for one year. The May 2011 report was the first orange rating for the factory.
Neither Tazreen’s owner nor Tuba Group officials could be reached for comment.
The Tuba Group is a major Bangladeshi garment exporter whose clients also include Carrefour and IKEA, according to its website. Its factories export garments to the U.S., Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands, among other countries. The Tazreen factory, which opened in 2009 and employed about 1,700 people, made polo shirts, fleece jackets and T-shirts.
Bangladesh has some 4,000 garment factories, many without proper safety measures. The country annually earns about $20 billion from exports of garment products, mainly to the U.S. and Europe.
In its 2012 Global Responsibility report, Wal-Mart said that “fire safety continues to be a key focus for brands and retailers sourcing from Bangladesh.” Wal-Mart said it ceased working with 49 factories in Bangladesh in 2011 because of fire safety issues, and was working with its supplier factories to phase out production from buildings deemed high risk.
Mahbub said the fire broke out on the ground floor, which was used as a warehouse, and spread quickly to the upper floors. Many workers who retreated to the roof were rescued, he said. But he said that with no emergency exits leading outside the building, many victims were trapped, and firefighters recovered 69 bodies from the second floor alone.
“The factory had three staircases, and all of them were down through the ground floor,” Mahbub said. “So the workers could not come out when the fire engulfed the building.”
Many victims were burned beyond recognition. The bodies were laid out in rows at a school nearby. Many of them were handed over to families; unclaimed victims were taken to Dhaka Medical College for identification.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed shock at the loss of so many lives.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association said it would stand by the victims’ families.

Read more: http://world.time.com/2012/11/25/112-dead-in-fire-at-bangladesh-garment-factory/#ixzz2DJ9CzTQEv

Fire raced up the floors of a Bangladeshi garment factory with no emergency exits, killing at least 112 people, some of whom jumped from the eight-story building where they made clothes for major global retailers.

The factory outside the capital, Dhaka, is owned by Tazreen Fashions Ltd., a subsidiary of the Tuba Group, which makes products for Wal-Mart and other companies in the U.S. and Europe.
Firefighters recovered at least 100 bodies from the factory and 12 more people died at hospitals after jumping from the building to escape, Maj. Mohammad Mahbub, fire department operations director, told The Associated Press on Sunday.
“Had there been at least one emergency exit through outside the factory, the casualties would have been much lower,” Mahbub said.
Local media reported that up to 124 people were killed. The cause of the blaze that began late Saturday was not immediately clear, and authorities ordered an investigation.
Army soldiers and border guards were helping keep order as thousands of onlookers and anxious relatives of the factory workers gathered, Mahbub said.
Relatives of the workers frantically looked for their loved ones. Sabina Yasmine said she saw the body of her daughter-in-law, but had seen no trace of her son, who also worked there.
“Oh, Allah, where’s my soul? Where’s my son?” wailed Yasmine, who works at another factory in the area. “I want the factory owner to be hanged. For him, many have died, many have gone.”
(PHOTOS: Ferry Capsizes in Bangladesh)
Tazreen was given a “high risk” safety rating after a May 16, 2011, audit conducted by an “ethical sourcing” assessor for Wal-Mart, according to a document posted on the Tuba Group’s website. It did not specify what led to the rating.
Wal-Mart spokesman Kevin Gardner said online documents indicating an orange or “high risk” assessment after the May 2011 inspection and a yellow or “medium risk” report after an inspection in August 2011 appeared to pertain to the factory. The August 2011 letter said Wal-Mart would conduct another inspection within one year.
Gardner said it was not clear if that inspection had been conducted or whether the factory was still making products for Wal-Mart.
If a factory is rated “orange” three times in two years, Wal-Mart won’t place any orders for one year. The May 2011 report was the first orange rating for the factory.
Neither Tazreen’s owner nor Tuba Group officials could be reached for comment.
The Tuba Group is a major Bangladeshi garment exporter whose clients also include Carrefour and IKEA, according to its website. Its factories export garments to the U.S., Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands, among other countries. The Tazreen factory, which opened in 2009 and employed about 1,700 people, made polo shirts, fleece jackets and T-shirts.
Bangladesh has some 4,000 garment factories, many without proper safety measures. The country annually earns about $20 billion from exports of garment products, mainly to the U.S. and Europe.
In its 2012 Global Responsibility report, Wal-Mart said that “fire safety continues to be a key focus for brands and retailers sourcing from Bangladesh.” Wal-Mart said it ceased working with 49 factories in Bangladesh in 2011 because of fire safety issues, and was working with its supplier factories to phase out production from buildings deemed high risk.
Mahbub said the fire broke out on the ground floor, which was used as a warehouse, and spread quickly to the upper floors. Many workers who retreated to the roof were rescued, he said. But he said that with no emergency exits leading outside the building, many victims were trapped, and firefighters recovered 69 bodies from the second floor alone.
“The factory had three staircases, and all of them were down through the ground floor,” Mahbub said. “So the workers could not come out when the fire engulfed the building.”
Many victims were burned beyond recognition. The bodies were laid out in rows at a school nearby. Many of them were handed over to families; unclaimed victims were taken to Dhaka Medical College for identification.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed shock at the loss of so many lives.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association said it would stand by the victims’ families.

Read more: http://world.time.com/2012/11/25/112-dead-in-fire-at-bangladesh-garment-factory/#ixzz2DJ9CzTQE

Fire raced up the floors of a Bangladeshi garment factory with no emergency exits, killing at least 112 people, some of whom jumped from the eight-story building where they made clothes for major global retailers.

The factory outside the capital, Dhaka, is owned by Tazreen Fashions Ltd., a subsidiary of the Tuba Group, which makes products for Wal-Mart and other companies in the U.S. and Europe.
Firefighters recovered at least 100 bodies from the factory and 12 more people died at hospitals after jumping from the building to escape, Maj. Mohammad Mahbub, fire department operations director, told The Associated Press on Sunday.
“Had there been at least one emergency exit through outside the factory, the casualties would have been much lower,” Mahbub said.
Local media reported that up to 124 people were killed. The cause of the blaze that began late Saturday was not immediately clear, and authorities ordered an investigation.
Army soldiers and border guards were helping keep order as thousands of onlookers and anxious relatives of the factory workers gathered, Mahbub said.
Relatives of the workers frantically looked for their loved ones. Sabina Yasmine said she saw the body of her daughter-in-law, but had seen no trace of her son, who also worked there.
“Oh, Allah, where’s my soul? Where’s my son?” wailed Yasmine, who works at another factory in the area. “I want the factory owner to be hanged. For him, many have died, many have gone.”
(PHOTOS: Ferry Capsizes in Bangladesh)
Tazreen was given a “high risk” safety rating after a May 16, 2011, audit conducted by an “ethical sourcing” assessor for Wal-Mart, according to a document posted on the Tuba Group’s website. It did not specify what led to the rating.
Wal-Mart spokesman Kevin Gardner said online documents indicating an orange or “high risk” assessment after the May 2011 inspection and a yellow or “medium risk” report after an inspection in August 2011 appeared to pertain to the factory. The August 2011 letter said Wal-Mart would conduct another inspection within one year.
Gardner said it was not clear if that inspection had been conducted or whether the factory was still making products for Wal-Mart.
If a factory is rated “orange” three times in two years, Wal-Mart won’t place any orders for one year. The May 2011 report was the first orange rating for the factory.
Neither Tazreen’s owner nor Tuba Group officials could be reached for comment.
The Tuba Group is a major Bangladeshi garment exporter whose clients also include Carrefour and IKEA, according to its website. Its factories export garments to the U.S., Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands, among other countries. The Tazreen factory, which opened in 2009 and employed about 1,700 people, made polo shirts, fleece jackets and T-shirts.
Bangladesh has some 4,000 garment factories, many without proper safety measures. The country annually earns about $20 billion from exports of garment products, mainly to the U.S. and Europe.
In its 2012 Global Responsibility report, Wal-Mart said that “fire safety continues to be a key focus for brands and retailers sourcing from Bangladesh.” Wal-Mart said it ceased working with 49 factories in Bangladesh in 2011 because of fire safety issues, and was working with its supplier factories to phase out production from buildings deemed high risk.
Mahbub said the fire broke out on the ground floor, which was used as a warehouse, and spread quickly to the upper floors. Many workers who retreated to the roof were rescued, he said. But he said that with no emergency exits leading outside the building, many victims were trapped, and firefighters recovered 69 bodies from the second floor alone.
“The factory had three staircases, and all of them were down through the ground floor,” Mahbub said. “So the workers could not come out when the fire engulfed the building.”
Many victims were burned beyond recognition. The bodies were laid out in rows at a school nearby. Many of them were handed over to families; unclaimed victims were taken to Dhaka Medical College for identification.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed shock at the loss of so many lives.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association said it would stand by the victims’ families.

Read more: http://world.time.com/2012/11/25/112-dead-in-fire-at-bangladesh-garment-factory/#ixzz2DJ9CzTQE

Fire raced up the floors of a Bangladeshi garment factory with no emergency exits, killing at least 112 people, some of whom jumped from the eight-story building where they made clothes for major global retailers.

The factory outside the capital, Dhaka, is owned by Tazreen Fashions Ltd., a subsidiary of the Tuba Group, which makes products for Wal-Mart and other companies in the U.S. and Europe.
Firefighters recovered at least 100 bodies from the factory and 12 more people died at hospitals after jumping from the building to escape, Maj. Mohammad Mahbub, fire department operations director, told The Associated Press on Sunday.
“Had there been at least one emergency exit through outside the factory, the casualties would have been much lower,” Mahbub said.
Local media reported that up to 124 people were killed. The cause of the blaze that began late Saturday was not immediately clear, and authorities ordered an investigation.
Army soldiers and border guards were helping keep order as thousands of onlookers and anxious relatives of the factory workers gathered, Mahbub said.
Relatives of the workers frantically looked for their loved ones. Sabina Yasmine said she saw the body of her daughter-in-law, but had seen no trace of her son, who also worked there.
“Oh, Allah, where’s my soul? Where’s my son?” wailed Yasmine, who works at another factory in the area. “I want the factory owner to be hanged. For him, many have died, many have gone.”
(PHOTOS: Ferry Capsizes in Bangladesh)
Tazreen was given a “high risk” safety rating after a May 16, 2011, audit conducted by an “ethical sourcing” assessor for Wal-Mart, according to a document posted on the Tuba Group’s website. It did not specify what led to the rating.
Wal-Mart spokesman Kevin Gardner said online documents indicating an orange or “high risk” assessment after the May 2011 inspection and a yellow or “medium risk” report after an inspection in August 2011 appeared to pertain to the factory. The August 2011 letter said Wal-Mart would conduct another inspection within one year.
Gardner said it was not clear if that inspection had been conducted or whether the factory was still making products for Wal-Mart.
If a factory is rated “orange” three times in two years, Wal-Mart won’t place any orders for one year. The May 2011 report was the first orange rating for the factory.
Neither Tazreen’s owner nor Tuba Group officials could be reached for comment.
The Tuba Group is a major Bangladeshi garment exporter whose clients also include Carrefour and IKEA, according to its website. Its factories export garments to the U.S., Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands, among other countries. The Tazreen factory, which opened in 2009 and employed about 1,700 people, made polo shirts, fleece jackets and T-shirts.
Bangladesh has some 4,000 garment factories, many without proper safety measures. The country annually earns about $20 billion from exports of garment products, mainly to the U.S. and Europe.
In its 2012 Global Responsibility report, Wal-Mart said that “fire safety continues to be a key focus for brands and retailers sourcing from Bangladesh.” Wal-Mart said it ceased working with 49 factories in Bangladesh in 2011 because of fire safety issues, and was working with its supplier factories to phase out production from buildings deemed high risk.
Mahbub said the fire broke out on the ground floor, which was used as a warehouse, and spread quickly to the upper floors. Many workers who retreated to the roof were rescued, he said. But he said that with no emergency exits leading outside the building, many victims were trapped, and firefighters recovered 69 bodies from the second floor alone.
“The factory had three staircases, and all of them were down through the ground floor,” Mahbub said. “So the workers could not come out when the fire engulfed the building.”
Many victims were burned beyond recognition. The bodies were laid out in rows at a school nearby. Many of them were handed over to families; unclaimed victims were taken to Dhaka Medical College for identification.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed shock at the loss of so many lives.
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association said it would stand by the victims’ families.

Read more: http://world.time.com/2012/11/25/112-dead-in-fire-at-bangladesh-garment-factory/#ixzz2DJ9CzTQE

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Malaysian couple held after maid dies of starvation

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Malaysian police have detained a couple over the alleged murder of a Cambodian maid after the 24-year-old woman died of possible prolonged starvation, police said on Thursday. Mey Sichan's employers telephoned for an ambulance on March 31 but paramedics found her dead on arrival, Mr Nasir Salleh, police chief of the northern state of Penang, told AFP. She also had bruises to her body. A post-mortem revealed that she died from acute gastritis and ulcers likely due to lack of food over a long period, he said. The maid had been working for the family, who manage a hardware shop, for eight months. 'Definitely what happened to Sichan is inhumane. It is a shock to us,' the police chief said.

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14 construction workers killed in fire in Turkey

ISTANBUL (AP) - A fire engulfed a tent used as a dormitory for workers at an Istanbul construction site late on Sunday, killing 14 people, a local official said. The workers were staying in a giant tent at the construction site of a supermarket, said Necmi Kadioglu, the mayor of Istanbul's Esenyurt district.'We suspect that the fire might haveoriginated from an electrical heater,' Mr Kadioglu said, noting the cold weather in Istanbul. Turkey's state-run television reported the fire might have been sparked by a short circuit. Firefighters,working under floodlights despite the snow, managed to recover the bodies of the workers from the mangled ruins of the tent.

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Thai Cabinet Meeting's Decision on Migration

You may already aware the cabinet approved guidelines of migrant workers management and extend NV deadline to 14 June 2012 (please find attached cabinet meeting note).

Does anyone is already doing or would like to voluntarily translate to migrant friendly language (especially Burmese) so that we can share with our members and the migrants.

 There are good news that the visa fees are reduce to 500 baht and the collection of deportation fund will be postponed.

During this period till 14 June 2012, migrants, their employers and related agencies will be busying with extension WP, medical check, bio-data collection and going through NV process.

 Please kindly advice should we have discussion on how to disseminate these changes to migrants, conduct awareness raising and advocacy activities (for issue related to NV and others).

We can talk more on 15/02/2012 after IWD meeting. 

REF: MRPWG Network

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Migrants workers get a chance to extend their work permit

Thai Labor Ministry said they are planning to extend the work permit of Burmese, Lao and Cambodian workers in Thailand for another four months. Over 100, 000 workers whose work permit will be expire in this month are waiting to get temporary passport. Director of Labor Ministry Para Kiyanpon said the workers will get their work permit extended until July 14. Those who had not applied for temporary password will not get this chance, so far over 700, 000 workers had gotten temporary passport, he continued. At the end of this month, five offices will be opened throughout the country to make temporary passport. It is expected all the workers will get temporary before their work permit expire.

REF: BBC

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