http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/04/23/shrimp.workers.re****t/ind...
CNN News'
Wed April 23, 2008
Abuse In Bangladesh Shrimp Industry:
WA****NGTON (CNN) -- Workers in Southeast Asia's shrimp industry suffer
regular abuse and sometimes live in what amounts to virtual slavery, a
human-rights organization said Wednesday.
The Solidarity Center re****t says the global shrimp industry is worth
about $13 billion annually.
***ual and physical abuse, debt bondage, child labor and unsafe
working conditions are common in Thailand and Bangladesh's shrimp
processing factories, the Solidarity Center said in a 40-page re****t.
The Solidarity Center describes itself as "an international nonprofit
allied organization of the AFL-CIO established to provide assistance
to workers around the world."
Workers told Thai police who raided one factory in September 2006
"that if they made a mistake on the shrimp peeling line, asked for
sick leave, or tried to escape, they could expect to be beaten,
***ually molested, or publicly tortured," according to the re****t.
The plant, Ranya Paew, "was more like a fortress than a factory, with
16-foot-high barbed-wire capped walls, an armed guard force, and an
extensive internal closed-circuit television system," the Solidarity
Center alleged, citing Thai police re****ts.
"Behind the walls, the police found a scene that one re****t described
as 'little short of medieval,' with hundreds of workers literally
trapped inside the compound, living in squalid conditions, forced to
work long hours, and subjected to physical, emotional, and ***ual
intimidation and abuse. Workers who angered the employer were often
'put to shame' in front of others by having their hair cut or shaved
in patches. Women and girls were stripped ****d and publicly beaten as
a form of discipline."
Don't Miss
* Read the re****t (PDF)
The re****t says the owner of the factory, who was charged with some
offenses, received little in the way of punishment.
"Despite widespread worker rights abuses, including child labor and
human trafficking, the owner was charged only with employing children
under 15 and failing to provide holidays and time off. Though these
charges are serious, they were treated as first-time labor code
violations. The owner initially only paid a fine of about $2,100 and
has returned to work."
The re****t, "The Degradation of Work: The True Cost of Shrimp," also
contains information from interviews with workers in Thailand and
Bangladesh. The labor rights organization did not name the workers,
saying they could suffer retaliation from employers if their
identities were not protected.
"In April 2007, workers at a factory owned by a major Thai shrimp
processing company spoke with Solidarity Center partners, alleging
hazardous working conditions as well as an intimidating and
discriminatory work environment. Workers complained of forced overtime
and nonpayment of wages if production quotas were missed. They also
claimed regular exposure to harsh chemicals, lack of access to first
aid or health care, and poor air and drinking water quality.
"They additionally alleged that they had unexplained deductions from
their pay, that they worked without a written contract, and that
native Thais and migrant workers were segregated by the use of
colorcoded uniforms."
U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a New York Democrat, said she was "deeply
disturbed by the findings of this re****t" at a news conference
announcing the study. "Simply put, this is outrageous. It is
unacceptable to treat ... people this way."
Much of the shrimp processed in Thailand is destined for the United
States, the re****t said.
"On average, Americans eat more than three pounds of shrimp each year;
about 80 percent of that shrimp is im****ted. In 2006 alone, U.S.
shrimp im****ts were valued at over $4 billion, making shrimp the most
valuable seafood im****t into the United States. Roughly one-third of
that shrimp came from Thailand. ... In 2002, shrimp overtook tuna as
the most popular seafood in American homes and restaurants."
The Solidarity Center tracked shrimp from factories it criticized
directly to some of America's best-known retailers and restaurants,
though it did not allege wrongdoing on the part of the U.S. companies.
Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, was among the companies
mentioned.
A spokeswoman for Wal-Mart said the company was not aware of the
allegations until contacted by CNN but that it adhered to industry
standards.
"We hold our shrimp suppliers to the highest safety and quality
standards -- including maintaining processing plants and packaging
facilities that meet or exceed best aquaculture practices (BAP)
standards set by the Global Aquaculture Alliance. Although we have not
seen the Solidarity Center's re****t, we are working with our suppliers
to investigate the allegations shared by CNN," Deisha Galberth of
Promote Communications said in a statement on behalf of Wal-Mart.
The global shrimp industry is worth about $13 billion annually, the
re****t said, making shrimp "the most popular and widely traded seafood
in the world." Thailand is one of the world's largest shrimp
ex****ters; Bangladesh has a much smaller industry.
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