CNI News

22 November 2023

Myanmar Ministry of Labor has blacklisted 126 Thai companies, 20 Thai agencies and 125 representatives of Thai employers due to labor rights violations reportedly.

Due to non-compliance with regulations and labor rights violations, Thai companies, agencies and individuals in question have been blacklisted reportedly.

" Even though some Myanmar workers went with MoU, Thai employers didn't pay full salaries. Some Thai employers didn't pay their employees overtime fees. Sometimes, Myanmar workers were called for A job according to the contract, but they were sent to B job or C job. These problems were solved by relevant companies and labor officials. But it was not convenient. So, they have been blacklisted." said U Myat Thu, general secretary of the Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Federation, to CNI News.

While seeing Myanmar workers in Thailand

Because the problem of MoU workers' rights being violated could not negotiated by labor officials, the companies should not blacklisted, those who carry out in the affairs of labors pointed out. As some associations that help in the labor affairs tend to negotiate in some cases,  labor officials should coordinate, said the people who perform labor affairs.  

The agencies in Myanmar that were blacklisted tend to change their agencies' names and the agencies that were blacklisted also would change their names, Ko Naing Naing Aung, director of the Arakan Workers Organization, told CNI News.

" Is taking action real? Is it effective? We need to review it. An MoU worker - if his rights were violated, he should get reasonable compensation. If the companies and agencies didn't give compensation to him, the government needs to give because he had to invest his hard-earned money to get that job. Blacklisting alone is not enough. Those who committed rights violation should be punished or they should be asked to compensate the victimized." said Ko Naing Naing Aung.

While seeing Myanmar workers in Thailand

If there are Myanmar workers who have already paid the cost to the blacklisted Thai companies and agencies, the cost should be given back to the workers, suggested those who carry out for the labor affairs. 

Moreover, if there are Myanmar workers who are working in the blacklisted companies, they should be changed to other workplaces, they suggested.