Narong Seafood under abuse probe
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The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) says it takes very seriously the accusations of labour abuse in a June 6 report by Warehouse Workers United and the International Labour Rights Forum and is determining a corrective course of action to ensure that the
The facility, Narong Seafood Co in Samut Sakhon, is BAP-certified.
The BAP management team is following up with Narong Seafood, which will be required to respond to all accusations in the report, titled “The Walmart Effect: Child and Worker Rights Violations at Narong Seafood”.
A corrective course of action will include ensuring that the facility was audited effectively.
GAA says it is committed to promoting social responsibility through its BAP-certification programme. Processing plants and farms certified against BAP must ensure a safe, healthy working environment.
BAP also addresses wages and other terms of employment and the use of child and forced labour. In total, BAP processing-plant standards contain 36 clauses relating to worker safety and employee relations. Certification is based on independent audits evaluating compliance with BAP standards.
“These are serious allegations that need to be investigated. Through its BAP programme, GAA takes its role in promoting fair labour conditions very seriously, so any report of abuse at a BAP-certified facility is a matter of great concern,” said Dan Lee, a BAP standards coordinator.
“The report calls on major players like Walmart to help drive up labour standards in the global seafood industry, and the BAP programme provides an important tool for this job,” he said.
“Some seafood-certification programmes sidestep the thorny issue of labour conditions. But, to its credit, GAA has adopted a comprehensive approach that attaches great importance to social issues.”
