Meeting held to pre-empt spread of swine flu to migrant workers Thu 02 Jul 2009, Asah, Weng Mon A meeting of health officials and migrant workers came after increasing fears about swine flu spreading in public places. Migrant workers were advised about safety precautions, and employers were urged to provide ID’s that would allow migrants to access hospitals.
On June 30th, a Thailand’s minister of Public health, Witthaya Kaewparadai, spoke at a meeting in Maharchai (Sanmuhsakon), which was purposefully attended by Burmese migrant workers, to discuss the threat of swine flu and the need for safety.
A migrant worker from the meeting said that the public health invited 10 migrants from each factory in Maharchai to attend, along with doctors and city officials. According to estimates, close to 200 migrant workers were able to attend the meeting.
“Because of this disease, they [Thai authorities] should have meetings for migrants throughout the area, so that migrant works will stay healthy, and learn about how to protect against contracting swine flu. If this disease spreads to the migrant workers, they shouldn’t work, and should stay and rest in their rooms and work when they are well” said Witthaya Kaewparadai, from the Thailand of Public Health.
Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai went on to explain that the disease could very easily spread from one migrant work to another, such as it has recently spread between people at offices, factories, and universities.
At present there are an estimated 200,000 migrant workers that are living and working in Maharchai. Many migrants do not have ID’s, though a specific number is difficult to calculate. If a migrant worker didn’t have an ID and contracted swine flu, it would be very difficult to see a doctor at a nearby hospital, as treatment would be costly with the price based on the illness being treated. In comparison, workers with ID’s in Maharchai would be treated, having only to pay a flat rate of 30 baht, according to a city official.
Before the June 30th meeting, Public health officials have been checking the cleanliness of living conditions of migrant workers in cities and towns throughout Thailand, according to a migrant worker in Maharchai who’s room had been checked. It is unclear if officials were able to check the conditions of migrant workers who are with out ID’s.
One migrant worker who attended the meeting felt that migrant workers now had more rights than before, citing the meeting as well as the announcement of IDs for migrant by Thai authorities as justification.
On May 26th, 2008, Thai authorities announced that they would be producing ID’s for all the migrant workers in Thailand, according to a source at the Raks Thai Foundation. The Raks Thai Foundation is a non-profit that protects worker rights, and investigates problems and complaints with employers.
According to a migrant worker at a fish canning factory in Maharchai, for new migrant workers who recently arrived and want to get an ID, there are two costs: First a migrant must pay a broker 5,000 baht, and then pay an additional 4,000 baht for the cost of the ID.
Thai authorities will produce ID’s from July 1st to the 30th in 2009, which will expire in late February 2010. Migrants will only be able to use these IDs for 7 months according to a source close to the Raks Thai Foundation.
“After the work permit expires for migrant workers, the government will make a passport specifically for migrant workers in Thailand,” a source at Raks Thai Foundation speculated.
Since 2004 Thai authorities have required migrant works in Thailand to have IDs. The Raks Thai Foundation estimates that there are an estimated 2 million Burmese migrant workers in Thailand, while only 464,114 are confirmed to have IDs.
A migrant worker from Maharchai explained, “If we have no ID, it is very difficult for us to get cured at the hospital. But now they are making IDs, and we have already prepaid our boss for one.”
