No Holidays for the Burmese

By Fair Action and Schyst Sesande • December 14, 2015

During the cold, dark and long winter, Swedes long for sunbathing and relaxation. Thailand is one of the most popular winter destinations for Swedish tourists, with a 26 percent increase in bookings for the 2015/2016 season. While the tourists enjoy all that Thailand tourism has to offer, such as the beautiful beaches, well-made beds and expansive pool areas, there is a flip-side to tourism paradise.

This report examines the working conditions of Burmese migrants at hotels contracted by Sweden´s three major tour operators Apollo (REWE Group), Fritidsresor (TUI Group) and Ving (Thomas Cook Group) in Khao Lak and Phuket, as well as hotel suppliers. The 29 interviewed migrants, who work at seven different hotels and six suppliers to the hotels, report receiving below statutory minimum wages, working overtime without compensation as well as facing discrimination. Half of the 18 hotel workers state that their salary is lower than that of the minimum wage. Moreover, only three of them receive vacation or leave according to the Thai labour law. The workers employed at the hotels’ suppliers face more severe labour rights violations. Nine out of the eleven interviewees do not earn the minimum
wage. Laundry staff reports working excessively long working hours, of up to 17 to
19 hours per day during peak season, with only two days off per month. Additionally, workers express that they have never had a single day of vacation. Such practices violate both the Thai labour law and international conventions, as well as the policies of the Swedish tour operators.

Download the full report in English here.

Tags: ASEAN, Business and Human Rights, Fair Action, Human Rights, Human Rights Violations, Labour Rights, Schyst Resande, Thailand

This post is in: ASEAN, Business and Human Rights, Children and Youth, Crimes Against Humanity, Health, Human Rights, Human Trafficking, Women

No Holidays for the Burmese

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