CP Foods promises to protect workers’ rights, maintain high standards at ILO training event
Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) has pledged to ensure decent work in the poultry industry and bring Thailand’s chicken processing supply chain up to international standards.
This pledge was given at the launch of the “Train the Trainer” course for poultry supply chains organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Employers’ Confederation of Thailand and Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association.
At the launching ceremony in a Bangkok hotel, Siripong Arunrattana, CPF’s chief operating officer for livestock business, accepted ILO’s MNE Declaration (Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy) from Graeme Buckley, ILO’s director for Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.
Presiding over the launch, Vice Labour Minister Surachai Chaitrakulthong said the government and Labour Ministry have enhanced focus on labour protection and human rights. The Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association and three leading companies – CPF, Betagro and Cargill – demonstrate that they have realised the importance of labour laws, the creation of decent work conditions and international standards.
Pimonrat Reephattanavijitkul, CPF’s executive vice president for human resources, said CPF has adhered to human rights principles and ensured that all workers are treated fairly and equitably, regardless of their nationality and title. CPF’s practices were also granted the Labour Ministry’s TLS 8001 standard.
Meanwhile, farmers at contracted farms have been encouraged to adopt Good Labour Practices since 2016 and are subject to annual assessment by CPF.
Once the training is complete, CPF’s trainers will employ the knowledge and international labour practices to ensure that CPF's labour practices comply with international standards in a sustainable way.
Pimonrat added that CPF’s trainers will share their knowledge with relevant employees at four processing plants – three chicken processing plants in Nakhon Ratchasima, Saraburi and Minburi and a poultry processing plant in Bangkok’s Bang Na district.
The knowledge will be further extended to CPF’s animal farms and farmers to ensure that their labour treatments in CPF’s supply chain meet human rights principles.
