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Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand ask for equality on Labor Day

Xinhua, May 1, 2017 Adjust font size:

Myanmar migrant workers joined a march held by Thai trade unions here on Monday to ask for more equality.

Around 100 Myanmar migrant workers, holding banners in Thai and Burmese, walked from Bangkok's Democracy Monument to the building of UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) to express their demands.

"Today is International Labor Day, all workers are equal despite their skin color and nationality, and we want to have equal rights with Thai workers," Said Aung Kyaw, vice president of Migrant Worker Rights Network, an organization promoting rights of Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand.

Their minimum wage is less than 300 baht per day (8.7 U.S. dollars), according to Aung Kyaw, while Thailand's minimum daily wage is about 305 to 310 baht (8.8-8.9 dollars).

He added that the Myanmar people's social welfare is also not good enough and there is inequality when compared with Thai workers.

"We have been fighting for equality for so many years, I don't know whether we can get it this year, our fight is very different," Aung Kyaw said.

Behind Aung Kyaw, Myanmar workers, some of them, especially females, wearing thanaka cream on their faces or padauk flowers in their hair, were chanting "Su Su," which means to fight in Thai.

Around 2 million to 3 million Myanmar migrants work in Thailand and some of them are undocumented and thus vulnerable to exploitation, rights group said.

Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi visited migrant workers in Thailand last June during a three-day visit to the kingdom.

She and Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha then witnessed the signing of three documents on cross border, labor cooperation and employment of workers. Endit