Nestle Finds Abuse, Forced Labor by Thai Seafood Suppliers
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At this fishery in Phuket, Thailand, many Burmese labourers work in slave like conditions; many of the workers are illegal immigrants including younger workers from 9 years of age.
Photographer: Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket via Getty ImagesMigrant workers toiling in Thailand’s seafood industry to supply global companies such as Nestle SA are subjected to hazardous, exploitative and degrading conditions in which some fishermen are even sold to other boat captains, a report commissioned by the company found.
The report conducted by Verite on behalf of Geneva-based Nestle and released Monday found “indicators of forced labor, trafficking, and child labor to be present among sea-based and land-based workers.” The findings, which are consistent with the non-government group’s previous research on Thailand’s fishing industry, “present an urgent challenge to any company sourcing seafood.”