45,285 signatures from international activists, gathered by a Walk Free campaign, were also simultaneously submitted to the Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association at 11am on the 22nd floor of 313 CP Tower, Silom Road, Bangrak in Bangkok. Representatives of the 14 workers supported by STOP THE TRAFFIK, the Migrant Worker Rights Network (MWRN), Finnwatch, the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee (TLSC) and the Migrant Working Group (MWG) delivered the campaign signatures. The petition called on the poultry association to encourage their member company, Betagro, to ensure owed compensation is provided to these 14 workers. The petition also called on Betagro to investigate working conditions throughout its supply chain ensuring effective grievance mechanisms and ensuring there is no more modern day slavery.

The worker’s litigation, filed today in Saraburi Province at Region 1 Labour Court, follows a 1st August 2016 official compensation order by Lopburi Department of Labour Protection and Welfare awarding the workers 1.7 million baht (US$50, 000) in past wages. The workers consider the order insufficient in not awarding them full compensation for up to 5 years of abusive work conditions.

Workers allege grueling working days stretching to 20 hours and forced overtime including sleeping in chicken rearing areas overnight. Further, the 14 workers allege unlawful deduction of salaries, threats of further deductions, confiscation of personal identity documents and limited freedom of movement. Workers allege they left the farm only for 2 hours a week for an accompanied market visit.

Betagro has failed to respond positively to both requests to ensure emergency accommodation and living support for the workers after they resigned from the farm in late June 2016 and also to requests that adequate compensation is provided to the workers following acknowledgement it purchased from the allegedly abusive farm. Betagro pledges adherence to the UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, requiring companies to use their leverage to ensure rights abuses in their supply chain are appropriately remedied.

Two of the 14 workers have also been charged with multiple counts of theft from an employer, carrying up to 7 years imprisonment if found guilty, following a complaint to police by the farm owner. The complaint alleges worker time cards were removed from the employer’s possession and handed over to Lopburi Department of Labour Protection and Welfare officials as evidence of rights violations. In late June, local police arrested and detained one worker in the case who was eventually released after questioning and charge following Betagro’s provision of 75, 000 baht (US$2,200) bail. A second worker was questioned and then also charged as being involved in the theft incident in August but released without needing to provide a bail surety. Last month, MWRN petitioned the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand to review this theft charges case.

The Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association has responded positively to pressure resulting from media coverage on this case and overseas poultry buyer’s deepening concerns on labour conditions in the sector by launching with the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare and Department of Livestock Development a Good Labour Practices (GLP) initiative for the Thai poultry industry on 19th August 2016.

Meanwhile the Director General of the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare has denied the severity of abuses alleged by the workers in this case insisting it was just a labour dispute between workers and their employer and not a case of forced labour, human trafficking, overwork or unlawful document retention.

The high profile abuse case is now drawing attention from senior Government officials and the international business and diplomatic community. This comes at a time when Thailand’s migrant worker management and protection policies as well as human trafficking record are under increased global scrutiny.

Thailand’s poultry export industry has come under scrutiny for its poor labour conditions in 2015 research reports published by corporate social responsibility watchdog groups Finnwatch and Swedwatch. International and domestic rights groups continue to be concerned at the Thai Government and Thai Poultry Industry’s lack of attention to serious labour and human rights abuses in the industry.

Betagro is one of the Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association leading members alongside CP, GFPT, Cargill, BRF, Laemthong Poultry, Panus Poultry, Centago and Bangkok Ranch. Thailand is the world’s 4th largest poultry exporter providing chicken, often for use in processed or ready-made meals, mostly to European Union and Japanese markets.