Blockchain aids protecting migrant workers in Thailand

IOM Thailand and Diginex, a social impact technology company, announced their partnership on the initiative on 31 August, which aim at increasing the potential of business to uphold the rights of migrant workers in their operations and supply chains.

The new cooperation comes as the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted labour mobility between Myanmar and Thailand from the closure of Thai borders in March 2020, amid continued demand in labour-intensive industries.

“With mobility restrictions due to COVID-19, technology is becoming increasingly important to businesses who want to connect with migrant workers,” said Geraldine Ansart, Chief of Mission at IOM Thailand. “According to the Ministry of Labour’s survey conducted in May 2021, Thai employers will require over 420,000 migrant workers to bolster the nation's workforce, with garment production being a key sector in demand of migrant workers,” she added.

Using the eMin mobile-optimized and blockchain platform developed by Diginex, the new initiative collected information from over 130 Myanmar migrant workers employed in Delta Galil's garment factory in Ayutthaya, Thailand between 9 and 23 April 2021, to understand and improve recruitment processes and employment conditions in the industrial sector. This has enabled a comprehensive mapping of the stages of the labour migration journey including contract-sharing or contract-substitution functions which are crucial for addressing labour mobility and migration protection challenges...

Original article published on IOM Thailand's website.