Migrant workers facing hardships under global financial turmoil

_{By Hseng Khio Fah
3 December 2008}

In Thailand, where the crisis has been worsened by its own internal political instability, many business owners are reducing their workforce.

Many restaurants in Sukhumvit district in Bangkok have started to reduce their laborforce in the face of less foreign visitors, said a Shan worker working at a Korean restaurant.

“There are only a few foreigners coming to the restaurant compared to before. So, our boss started to cut the number of workers. But, they [bosses] did not tell us in advance. They just wait to see the laborers making mistakes, and fire them. ,” said the worker.

“We must therefore be very careful on what we do, or we will be fired. On the other hand, we have to be careful on police raiding.”

“In October, 6 workers were fired only in a day. And about 5 people were fired last month,” he added.

There are over 100 workers in the restaurant and most of them are from Burma, according to him. “And there are many of my friends who are working near our restaurant who have not been paid for the last 4 months.”

Another Shan worker who works in a garment factory told SHAN that some workers who had been earning extra money from working overtime suddenly found themselves unable to do the same, because of fewer foreign orders.

Similarly, there are over 20 Shan migrants who are still unable to find jobs because business owners don’t want to accept new workers, according to Sai Lao Hseng, coordinator of the Shan Refugee Organization (SRO) in Malaysia.

The situation is the same in Singapore.

 A Shan woman who went to look for work there returned home without getting a job.

 “There were many Burmese workers who were laid off and have to return home,” she said.

“I had been looking for a job for over three months in Singapore until my visa deadline was gone, as I was not accepted by any companies.”