๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ณ 16, 2024
More than 1,000 Myanmar migrant workers employed at a poultry factory in Thailandโs Phetchabun Province staged a peaceful protest on December 16, demanding a reduction in the exorbitant fees being charged for renewing their two-year work permits.
According to worker rights activist Aye Min from the Aid Alliance Committee (AAC), the factory has been collecting as much as 11,500 Thai Baht per worker for the renewal process.
The high fees are reportedly due to unauthorized price hikes imposed by agencies facilitating work permit and visa services. Negotiations are currently underway between employers, workers, and agencies to address the issue. Activists noted that in other factories, the fees typically range from 6,500 to 8,000 Thai Baht, making the poultry factoryโs charges unusually high.
The poultry factory, a major exporter, is now in talks with agencies to revise the fees, which workers argue are unreasonable compared to industry standards.
The surge in extension fees is also linked to stricter regulations imposed by the Myanmar military junta, which mandates that 25% of workersโ income be remitted to families in Myanmar through official banking channels. This policy has further increased the financial burden on migrant workers, exacerbating the issue of inflated service fees.
In response to the growing discontent, negotiations have been initiated across approximately 50 factories in December to address similar concerns, with workers and labor organizations calling for fair and transparent fee structures.
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