Longtime Walmart shrimp supplier, certified by the Global Aquaculture Alliance, in a new report is being accused of engaging in serious violations of Thai law and international human rights standards.
The briefing paper, “The Walmart Effect: Child and Worker Rights Violations at Narong Seafood,” — released by Warehouse Workers United (WWU) and the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) — documents a number of serious violations at shrimp processing company Narong Seafood.
Violations at Narong’s principal facility in Samutsakron, Thailand, include utilizing underage workers, nonpayment of wages, charging workers excessive fees for work permits, and an ineffective auditing regime.
Workers interviewed at Narong reported that until the factory began to experience a slowdown in production due to diseased shrimp, roughly 20 underage workers were employed at the factory. According to interviewees, most underage workers reported to work during the night shift along with 100 to 200 undocumented migrant workers employed at the factory. Interviewees also reported that during audits managers instructed underage workers who work during the day not to come to work.
“The case of Narong seafood casts serious doubt on the effectiveness of the auditing programs of the Global Aquaculture Alliance and Walmart,” said Judy Gearhart, ILRF director. “If workers are not empowered to address violations, if factory owners can evade detection with impunity, if audits are announced and never occur at night how can we trust that this system can protect workers, consumer health or environmental sustainability.”
The briefing paper calls on Walmart to begin working with labor and human rights activists in Thailand to ensure the rights of migrant workers who produce shrimp for Walmart are respected.
