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Local News

Migrant workers say firm caused loss of legal status

16/09/2012
Penchan Charoensuthipan

About 33 Myanmar migrant workers yesterday lodged a complaint with the Labour Ministry, saying their employer had taken away their passports and held them until their visas expired.

They have consequently become illegal immigrants.

Moe, 25, a Myanmar national, said she and the other workers had been hired by a jewellery company in Samut Sakhon's Krathum Baen district. The company took away their passports earlier this year.

At that time, the employer promised to get their visas and work permits renewed on their behalf.

The employer then collected money from them and also took deductions from their salaries, ranging from 7,000 baht to 12,000 baht each, claiming it was the cost of renewing those documents, Moe said.

When the workers enquired about the progress of their visa renewals, the employer kept saying they had yet to be completed, she said. They learned later that their visas had expired.

Three months ago, the company fired the 33 workers, who could not be hired by other companies due to their lack of renewed visas.

They have been subject to fines of 500 baht per day by immigration police until their visas are renewed. They also face the threat of being deported.

Anusorn Kraiwatnussorn, an assistant to the labour minister, has contacted the jewellery company and discussed the problem.

As a result, the company has agreed to pay all the fines for late visa renewals, Mr Anusorn said. He did not mention the money that the company deducted from the workers' salaries.

Mr Anusorn said the ministry was considering imposing a new regulation requiring work contracts to be written in three languages, namely Thai, English and the mother language of the migrant workers.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Local News, Migrant workers say firm caused loss of legal status, 16/09/2012, Penchan Charoensuthipan, link) 


Immigration Laws & Labour Vocabulary

migrant worker - a person who travels to another place or country in order to find work (an immigrant is someone who comes to live in a country from another country) ผู้อพยพ
migrant - moving from one place to another อพยพ

status - the state or condition at a point in time สถานะ
status - official or legal position สถานภาพ
loss of legal status

firm - a business or company บริษัท
migrant workers say firm caused loss of legal status

complaint - when someone says that something is wrong or not satisfactory การร้องเรียน
lodge a complaint
lodged a complaint with the Labour Ministry

employer - a person, company, or organisation that pays someone to work for them as a member of their staff นายจ้าง
their employer had taken away their passports

expired - ended, finished, used up, no longer valid หมดอายุ สิ้นสุด
visas expired

About 33 Myanmar migrant workers yesterday lodged a complaint with the Labour Ministry, saying their employer had taken away their passports and held them until their visas expired.

consequently ... - after that time ...

illegal - against the law ผิดกฎหมาย, นอกกฎหมาย
illegal immigrants - people who are staying in a country illegally (without visa and permission from the government)

national - a citizen of a particular country ประชาชน
Myanmar national - a Burmese person, a person from Burma or Myanmar

They have consequently become illegal immigrants. Moe, 25, a Myanmar national, said she and the other workers had been hired by a jewellery company in Samut Sakhon's Krathum Baen district. The company took away their passports earlier this year.

work permits - official permission from the government to work in Thailand
renew - to give new life (or extra time when something can be used)
work permits renewed

on their behalf - done for them (by another person)
work permits renewed on their behalf 

At that time, the employer promised to get their visas and work permits renewed on their behalf.

deduction - subtracting an amount of money from something (such as a pay check)
deduction from salary - subtracting money from the amount of money earned for one month (paid in a "pay check")
took deductions from their salaries

The employer then collected money from them and also took deductions from their salaries, ranging from 7,000 baht to 12,000 baht each, claiming it was the cost of renewing those documents, Moe said.

enquire - ask about something
progress - gradual improvement towards a goal; when a project moves towards successful completion ความก้าวหน้า   พัฒนาการ

the workers enquired about the progress of their visa renewals

When the workers enquired about the progress of their visa renewals, the employer kept saying they had yet to be completed, she said. They learned later that their visas had expired.

fired - have job taken away (because did something wrong) 
the company fired the 33 workers

lack - does not have ขาดแคลน
their lack of renewed visas

pay all the fines for late visa renewals

immigration - 1. people coming into a country to travel, live, and work there, 2. the controls that governments place on flows of people into the country; 3. the process in which people enter a country in order to live there permanently การย้ายถิ่นฐาน

fines of 500 baht per day by immigration police

threat - a danger อันตราย an occasion when someone says that they will cause you harm or problems, especially if you do not do what they want you to do การคุกคาม,การขู่เข็ญ
deported - to be officially sent out of the country by the government (as punishment for wrongdoing)
face the threat of being deported.

Three months ago, the company fired the 33 workers, who could not be hired by other companies due to their lack of renewed visas. They have been subject to fines of 500 baht per day by immigration police until their visas are renewed. They also face the threat of being deported. Anusorn Kraiwatnussorn, an assistant to the labour minister, has contacted the jewellery company and discussed the problem. As a result, the company has agreed to pay all the fines for late visa renewals, Mr Anusorn said. He did not mention the money that the company deducted from the workers' salaries.

ministry - a government department dealing with an area of activity กระทรวง

regulation - an official rule that controls the way that things are done กฎระเบียบ  ระเบียบข้อบังคับ
imposing a new regulation

contracts - an agreement between people or companies
work contracts - an agreement about a job and work
work contracts to be written in three languages

mother language - the language of your own country or place (the first language you spoke when young)
the mother language of  migrant workers

Mr Anusorn said the ministry was considering imposing a new regulation requiring work contracts to be written in three languages, namely Thai, English and the mother language of the migrant workers.