The Labour Protection Network, alongside Thai agro-industrial and food conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods), has extended their Labour Voice Hotline for the 5th year in a row. Both organizations have thus, upheld their commitment to promoting the human rights and voices of those the companies’ workers, particularly those of non-Thai origin.
The “Labour Voice Hotline by LPN” is a telephone hotline that provides consulting services to CP Foods workers in various languages, including Thai, English, Burmese, and Cambodian. This allows CP food workers, including migrant workers, to feel more comfortable voicing their concerns to a third party in their native tongue.
Cooperation and collaboration between non-government human rights organizations, such as LPN, and companies involved in the supply chain is integral to upholding the human rights of workers and holding companies accountable for their workers complaints. Through this CP Foods and LPN are able to ensure that the company upholds internationally set standards for good labor practices and worker’s rights.
Allowing LPN to oversee the worker hotline as a third party will prevent discrimination and bias from being present in CP food’s handling of worker complaints and suggestions. Thus, ensuring all workers have equal ability to voice their concerns in the workplace, regardless of their country of origin or social status.
Beside the labour voice hotline, LPN has also worked alongside CP foods to administer “Worker Training” on basic human rights, occupational health, and labor laws. By educating workers on their rights, LPN hopes to be able to prevent human rights abuses from within the company. Through creating a safe environment, where workers are able to ensure their rights are upheld, their wellbeing and quality of life will also improve
By working with LPN CP foods hopes that it can reinforce its commitment to human rights and improve the livelihoods of its workers. The company hopes that LPN will allow it to handle worker suggestions without any bias as well as upholding its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Furthermore, LPN and CP foods also plan to collaborate with work recruitment agencies in neighboring countries to ensure their recruitment practices align with internationally recognized standards. This will further act to ensure vulnerable migrant workers are protected from human rights violations from their initial entry into the Thai workforce.
Due to the impact of COVID-19, LPN and CP foods have been delivering worker training virtually. However, this has also allowed LPN, through the hotline initiative, to share disease prevention information to migrant workers without a language barrier.
During the pandemic, LPN also conducted a Focus Group activity with CP foods’ migrant workers. This activity shared knowledge with migrant workers on how they can prevent the spread of COVID-19 within their dormitories and the workplace.
In return for their help, CP foods provided LPN with ready-to-eat food products and fresh eggs that were distributed to migrant worker communities. This helped alleviate the impact COVID-19 had in migrant communities and ensured migrant workers and their families had access to basic necessities, such as food, during the pandemic.
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