Deep Dive - Thai Union: Supporting children through education

THAI UNION

Supporting children through education Thai Union is one of the world's leading seafood providers with a strong Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) profile. Thai Union’s main focus within children's rights is to increase access to education and limit child labour.

A D D RES S IN G CHIL D REN' S RIG HT S Ho w i t s t a r t e d The fi shi ng i ndustry i n the Southe a st A sia n re gi on i s l a rge l y a n i nform a l sec tor tha t i s gra dua l l y be c om i ng forma l i ze d a nd a s a re sul t the i ndustry i s be i ng m ore c l ose l y e xa m i ne d. The re a re tw o fa c tors tha t te nd to l e a d to i nfri nge m e nts on c hi l dre n’ s ri ghts w i thi n the fi shi ng i ndustry: m a ny busi ne sse s a re fa m il y ow ne d a nd run a nd the w ork forc e i s c om pose d of m i gra nt l a bour.

Wi thi n fa m i l y busi ne sse s, young fa m i l y m e m be rs m a y a ssi st w i th w ork ta sk s, w hi l e sc hool i s de - pri ori ti z e d i n fa vour of e nsuri ng tha t the fa m i l y a nd i ts busi ne ss survi ve .

The re i s a hi gh m ove m e nt of w ork e rs from ne i ghbouri ng c ountri e s, m i gra ti ng for e c onom ic re a sons. M i gra nt w ork e rs ofte n do not ha ve the opp ortuni ty to a c c e ss the e duc a ti on syste m i n the i r host c ountry.

Chi l d ca r e ce nt r e s i n S a m ut S a kho n Tha i Uni on i ni ti a te d a progra m to bui l d c hi l d c a re c entre s i n l oc a l sc hool s for the c hi l dre n of m i gra nt w ork e rs to he l p the m tra nsi ti on to the Tha i sc hool syste m .

The progra m for e sta bl i shi ng sc hool s sprung from a n a udi t of the a rea outsi de Ba ngk ok w he re som e Tha i Uni on fa c tori e s a re l oc a te d.

The a udi t show e d c hi l dre n of m i gra nt w ork e rs i n the a re a s w e re not a t te ndi ng sc hool duri ng the da yti m e .

THAI UNION AT A GLANCE

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COM P A N Y P ROF IL E:

Leading seafood company in Thailand, founded in 1977 REVEN UE ’ 14 :

$3 716 million COUN T RIES W. S A L ES :

Thailand

S EL ECT ED S CORECA RD IN D ICA T ORS WHERE T HE COM P A N Y IS D OIN G VERY WEL L

Child Labour Policy Collaboration with NGO Board Accountability

Se ve ra l m a i n re a sons for thi s w e re i de nti fi e d – pa re nts w e re not a wa re of how to e nrol the i r c hi l dre n i n l oc a l sc hool s; c hi l dre n spok e l a ngua ge s othe r tha n Thai a nd the re fore w oul d not be a bl e to spe ak a t sc hool ; a nd pa re nts w e re not a l w a ys a wa re of the i m porta nc e of e duc a ti on for the i r c hi l dre n.

Tha i Uni on ha s a l so run E ngl i sh c l a sse s for c hi l dre n a t the sc hool s.

May 2016

Children’s Rights and the Corporate Sector in South East Asia I Deep Dives

Co de o f Co nduct Tha i Uni on w ork s to e duc a te the i r suppl i e rs on the i r Busi ne ss E thi c s a nd La bour C ode of C onduc t, w hi ch spe c i fi ca l l y prohi bi ts c hi l d l a bour. Suppl i e rs a re pr ovi de d w i th suppor t to fol l ow the C ode a nd e nc oura ge d to sha re i t w i th the i r suppl i e rs. The ai m i s to i nfl ue nc e a l l l a ye rs of suppl i e rs so tha t the C ode of C onduc t i s fol l ow e d throughout the suppl y c ha i n.

Co l la bor a ti ons wi th N on-Go ve rnme nta l Or ga ni s a t i ons (N G O) i n T ha i l a nd Tha i Uni on c ol l a bora te s m a i nl y w i th thre e NG Os i n Tha i l and. P roj e c t Issa ra w ho offe r a hotl i ne tha t c a n be c a l l e d by m i gra nt w ork e rs to ra i se c onc e rns, a c t a s a gri e va nc e m e c ha ni sm a nd ge t i nform a ti on a bout l a bour ri ghts. A ny i ssue s tha t a re re ve a le d, both Tha i Uni on spe c i fi c a nd ge ne ra l i n the c om m uni ty or i ndustry, a re ra i se d a nd ta k e n a c ti on on.

M i gra nt Work e rs Ri ghts Ne tw ork (MWRN) a re i nvi te d to Tha i ' s fa c tori e s to c he ck c ondi ti ons both i n fa c tori e s a nd surroundi ng c om muni ti e s, a nd stre ngthe n m e c ha ni sm s for w ork e r voi c e .

La bour Ri ghts P rom oti on Ne tw ork (LP N) foc use s on ta lk i ng to Tha i Uni on’ s m i gra nt w ork e rs a nd e duc a ti ng the m i n the i m porta nc e of e duc a ti on for the i r c hi l dre n, a nd a voi di ng c hi l d l a bour or c hi l d tra ffi c k i ng. LP N he l pe d e sta bl i sh the Tha i Uni on C hi l d C a re C e ntre s.

G o i ng fo r wa r d

“da nge r z one s” w he re the re i s hi gh ri sk o f c hi l d e xpl oi ta ti on i n the form of for e xm pl e c hi l d l a bour or tra ffi c k i ng.

The proj e c t to i nc re a se e duc a ti on a m ong the i r shri m p suppl i e rs is ge tti ng a tte nti on from the i ndustry a nd m ore pa rti e s a re ge tti ng i nv ol ve d.

G oi ng forw a rd Tha i Uni on w i l l c onti nue to broa de n the i ni ti a ti ve a nd dri ve i t to be c om e i ndustry- w i de . The y a l so ha ve i de nti fi e d tha t m ore w ork c a n be done a round hum a n tra ffi c k i ng w hi c h w i l l be gi ve n m ore foc us.

DECREASING CHILD LABOUR ON SHRIMP FARMS

Thai Unio n is in itiat ing a program to ensure that shrimp farms in their supply chain do not have child labour. Since the farms can be family operated and may depend on the help of the whole family the problem is difficu lt to so lve. By making education easily accessible, limit ing the hours of work and seeing to that t here is she lter and water available lives for the children and thei r families can be improved, as well as increasing opportunities for education.

Tha i Uni on i s l ook i ng to e x pa nd the i r c urre nt proj e c ts. For e xa m pl e , the y w i l l be l a unc hi ng a ne w proj e c t on the i m porta nc e of e duc a ti on i n

May 2016

Children’s Rights and the Corporate Sector in South East Asia I Deep Dives