The Labour Protection Network Foundation (LPN) and Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL. (CPF) have adopted an online training platform in their joint effort to further promote human rights at workplace under the new normal.
Mr. Sompong Srakaew, the director of LPN, said that 2020 marks the third year of LPN and CPF’s collaboration. “Labour Voices Hotline by LPN” has so far served as an independently-run consultation and complaint channel which also provides training on human rights to both Thai and migrant workers. CPF’s workers are equipped with the knowledge of labour laws, safety and occupational rules and the Company’s best practices. To conform with the Company’s strict safety and epidemic-prevention measures in the production lines, LPN this year carries out its tasks through online training and dormitory visits. The off-hour Focus Group conversations outside workplace encourage workers to express their opinions and raise questions on life adjustments and cultural differences.
LPN also hosts training for migrant workers at the country of origin: once each in Cambodia and Myanmar.
“At pre-employment training prior to the start of their service, workers are fed with fundamental information on workplace, living condition in Thailand, their rights and welfare. All migrant workers are also introduced to “Labour Voice by LPN”,” Mr. Sompong said.
The complaint channel and human rights training by “Labour Voices Hotline by LPN” is a prototype collaboration of the private sector and the civil society. Together, they jointly treat workers as family members, promoting their coexistence with understanding for greater work commitments and better quality of life. This is to assure global consumers that their products come from the supply chain that honours international labour standards.
In the past 2 years, LPN’s training had helped CPF’s migrant workers adjust to work and living conditions in Thailand with ease. Workers did not hesitate to seek consultation services from Labour Voices Hotline by LPN, which is manned by Thai, Myanmar and Cambodian officers.
Mr. Sompong asserted that after the COVID-19 outbreak, CPF had taken a good care of all workers’ health, resulting on zero infection. Meanwhile, CPF supplied LPN with food products like fresh eggs and drinking water for distribution to needy migrant workers who suffered from job termination or a pay cut during the period.
