The ITF has campaigned recently on worker rights in both of these countries. Back in May 2013, the ITF was one of the complainants in a submission to the International Labour Organization (ILO) on the Thai government’s dismissal of railway workers striking over safety concerns. The ILO responded on June 13 2014, highlighting the gap between Thai national law and international minimum standard. It recommended that all railway workers be reinstated and compensated for lost wages and benefits.
The ITF is also working with sister global union federation the IUF (International Union of Food, Agricultural and Hospitality Workers) to improve workers’ rights along the fish supply chain with the From catcher to counter project. Thailand has come under fire recently for using slave labour in its prawn industry.
The ITF’s work to highlight conditions for workers at Qatar Airways has also been high profile – last September, it revealed a culture of surveillance and control over staff at the airline.
ITF acting general secretary Steve Cotton said: “We hope that both the Thai and Qatari governments will take note of this damning indictment by the US State Department. Our work to date has highlighted the drastic need for labour reform in both of these countries, and we’re pleased to see that the US government agrees with this assessment. Our main concern is workers’ rights, and we’ll continue the fight to make sure that conditions get better for workers everywhere.”
Thailand and Qatar downgraded for workers’ rights abuses
news
ON THE GROUND
news
Working together to defend the right to strike in Canada and worldwide
Canadian Affiliates of the ITF Canadian Coordinating Committee, representing tens of thousands of transport workers across Canada members of Unifor, Teamsters Canada, SIU Canada, NUPGE, ALPA, CATCA
news
Sustained, joint action needed to end seafarer “human rights crisis”
Joint work to end worsening seafarer criminalisation and unfair treatment on the agenda at London event – organised by ITF, ILO, IMO and ICS The maritime industry must come together now to take action
news
Six years of C190: 50 countries say no to violence and harassment at work
Today marks six years since the historic adoption of the International Labour Organization’s Convention 190 (C190) – the first international treaty recognising the right of everyone to a world of work