Preventing the exploitation of workers in other countries through supply chains was the focus of UnionAID’s virtual May Day event this year. Duangsomphong Wanglap, from the Thai Global Workers Union (see photo) and Ed Miller from FIRST Union spoke about their UnionAID funded partnership project to organise workers in a Thai plasterboard factory. This factory, which is owned by the Thai King, is exporting cheaply to New Zealand . As Duangsomphong said, “Most politicians are business and political elites and have strong neo-liberal policies”. Not surprisingly only 1.5% of workers are unionised.
Hosted by Melissa Ansell-Bridges from the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU), the event featured other insightful contributions from the Hon. Phil Twyford and Rachel Dobrić (Oxfam Aotearoa) who spoke on the What She Makes campaign for garment workers.
You can watch a recording of the event below.