Myanmar workers fleeing because of new labour law: activist
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Some 5,000 Myanmar workers crossed the border in Mae Sot district in Tak province to home on Friday fearing consequences from the harsher new labour law, a labour rights activist said.
Sompong Srakaew, executive director of the Labour Rights Promotion Network Foundation (LPN), said he had learned that on Friday alone some 5,000 Myanmar workers returned to their country via the Mae Sot border.
Sompong said the harsher law also prompted a lot of Lao and Cambodian workers to return home.
He said the new law also prompted employers to lay off workers who do not have valid work permits or workers who have been registered with another employer but denied registration by the former employer.
The activist said many migrant workers were even extorted of some Bt3,000 to B4,000 each by Thai officials at some border checkpoints.
Sompong said he would raise the issues related to the new labour law with the Labour Ministry on July 5.
