Dignity in work for all

With over 368,000 Filipino citizens in Europe, the Philippines is a key source of labor in the region. The process of gaining employment in Europe can be fraught with risks; some Filipino workers may find themselves working under exploitative conditions, or under the weight of debt from fees paid during the recruitment and migration process.

Assessing Labor Risk for Workers Migrating from the Philippines to Europe

2021

The Thai fisheries sector has been under international scrutiny for years for poor labor conditions, including forced labor. Since the European Union (EU) yellow card on Thai seafood in 2015, the Thai government launched labor reforms, tightened fishing regulations, and became a signatory to the ILO C188 – Work in Fishing Convention (2007). With decidedly mixed results, the business sector is attempting to cascade codes of conduct down the supply chain and has sought to improve its supply chain traceability down to the vessel level. Despite these commitments and some improvements, transformational change remains elusive on labor issues including freely chosen employment, decent working hours, humane treatment, and appropriate wage payments, among others.

Business Case Study: Mechanization of Thai Purse Seiners

Mechanization of Thai Purse Seiners: A Business Case Study to Improve Working and Living Conditions

Malaysia’s electronics sector workforce includes hundreds of thousands of foreign migrant workers who come to Malaysia on the promise of a good salary and steady work – an opportunity to make a better life for themselves and their families. But many are subject to high recruitment fees, personal debt, complicated recruitment processes, lack of transparency about their eventual working conditions, and inadequate legal protections.

Forced Labor in the Production of Electronic Goods in Malaysia: A Comprehensive Study of Scope and Characteristics

2014

ชุดเครื่องมือนี้ ถูกจัดทำขึ้นเพื่อช่วยนายจ้างการนำมาตรฐานทางจริยธรรมไปใช้ในการจัดหาแรงงานข้ามชาติภายในประเทศไทย

ดูชุดเครื่องมือ

Implementing Ethical Standards in the In-Country Recruitment of Migrant Workers in Thailand - Thai

ชุดสื่อเรียนรู้: การนำมาตรฐานทางจริยธรรมมาใช้ในการสรรหาแรงงานข้ามชาติภายในประเทศไทย

The Toolkit on Implementing Ethical Standards in the In-Country Recruitment of Migrant Workers in Thailand was developed to improve protections for workers through the implementation of robust policies, procedures, and practices that are applicable to in-country recruitment.

Implementing Ethical Standards in the In-Country Recruitment of Migrant Workers in Thailand

While in-country recruitment of migrant workers is not new, the border closures, which formed part of Thailand’s Covid-19 Pandemic response, created heightened demand for recruiters and brokers. During and in the aftermath of the pandemic, thousands of migrant workers found themselves with expired work permits at risk of falling out of regular status, while workers who were already undocumented in Thailand faced greater vulnerabilities to labour abuse and exploitation. 

In-Country Recruitment of Foreign Migrant Workers and Risks of Forced Labour and Human Trafficking in Thailand

2024

This toolkit was developed to help equip palm oil producers who are looking to build a social compliance program with basic knowledge and tools. It was designed to enable palm oil suppliers to make strategic, evidence-based decisions to prevent, manage, and address risks of labour rights violations and add rigor to suppliers’ sustainability plans. The toolkit is available in Bahasa Indonesia, Malaysia, English, and Spanish languages in both an interactive online format and as a downloadable file, and was developed with the generous support of Mars, Incorporated and Nestlé.

Palm Oil Toolkit

In January 2024, Verité Southeast Asia rebranded as Dignity in Work for All to better reflect its focus and direction by deepening its work in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Taiwan, Japan, Australia and the Pacific, the Middle East, and Europe through its country teams and regional offices.

Press Release

January 2024

Press Release from Dignity in Work for All

Filipino migrant fishers constitute the second largest group of foreign workers on Taiwan-flagged fishing vessels. Since the early 2000s, we have documented labor conditions and risks faced by Filipino migrant fishers in Taiwan, noting that many of them were undocumented, recruited through informal channels, and vulnerable to trafficking for forced labor and other forms of exploitation. This research looks into evidence that Filipino migrants continue to be exposed to serious risk
during recruitment.

Recruitment and Employment Experiences of Filipino Migrant Fishers in Taiwan’s Tuna Fishing Sector: An Exploratory Study

As the Philippines’ top seafood export, tuna plays a significant role in supporting the country’s economy and sustaining the livelihood of families in many of the country’s fishing communities. In General Santos City, the country’s “tuna capital,” tuna fishing relies heavily on handlining, an eco-friendly but labor-intensive means of harvest in which fishers use baited hooks on a single line.

Recruitment and Hiring Practices in the Philippine Tuna Handline Fishing Sector

2020

Our research in Indonesia was initially aimed to assess the circumstances surrounding forced labor on fishing platforms (jermals) in North Sumatra province. This research was expanded to examine small-boat anchovy fishing in North Sumatra and blast fishing in South Sulawesi province.

Research on Indicators of Forced Labor in the Indonesian Fishing Sector

2012

The Philippines ranks second in the world for tuna caught and fifth in canned tuna production. This research was carried out in General Santos City, which is known as the ―Tuna Capital of the Philippines. Due in part to overfishing, yields and profits have been decreasing over the past several years.

Research on Indicators of Forced Labor in the Philippines Tuna Sector

VSEA developed a set of asynchronous modules for Conservation International to help in the implementation of the Social Responsibility Assessment (SRA) Tool for the Seafood Sector.

Social Responsibility Assessment Modules on Seafood

We conducted an exploratory study of the recruitment practices in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Lao PDR for workers destined for Thailand to map the critical intervention points in these sending countries where the risks to jobseekers begin. Our findings represent a snapshot of a dynamic process and depict the current environment in which labor migration in these corridors is happening.

Resources

The research, tools, and featured initiatives in this section are aimed at raising public awareness and supporting efforts to improve labor conditions.

Our reports, policy briefs, tools, and learning modules are open-source, curated for the purpose of driving a deep understanding of issues, encouraging continuous improvement, and promoting respect for the dignity and rights of workers everywhere.