First Recruitment Agencies in the Seafood Industry to be Certified on Ethical Recruitment Practices
Two Myanmar-based agencies are the first recruitment agencies in the seafood industry to have achieved On The Level (OTL) certification as recognized ethical recruiters, specifically in the Myanmar to Thailand corridor.
Marking their commitment to the highest standards of responsible recruitment practices, Alpha World Link and International Focus reached the sought-after milestone after a programme that included extensive training components managed by The Fair Hiring Initiative, a non-profit organization that specialises in ethical recruitment models.
Delivered in collaboration with the Seafood Task Force, with the support of Humanity United, the OTL programme now has 30 more agencies across Asia and Australia signed up to become certified ethical recruiters.
Alpha World Link CEO Ms Wint Wint Aung comments: “We have faced considerable challenges as a result of our country’s political situation, with many workers migrating to other countries and willing to pay recruitment agencies to secure work. That situation will change and there is an increasing understanding from agencies that we must support our workers, who are extremely poor, and ensure they are not faced with exorbitant fees and costs.
“Our workers and the employers who are sourcing their workforce through us, really appreciate the commitment we have made. The audit process gives our clients the concrete evidence they need to demonstrate to their customers that the products they are buying come from a responsible supply chain.
“I am really proud of our agency and our reputation and it is heartening to see that companies who are leading the way on ethical recruitment standards are some of the top agencies in Thailand, so we do believe that other agencies will make this commitment.
“The Seafood Task Force is helping to encourage all employers to commit to responsible recruitment and our hope is that agencies who do not adhere to ethical standards will no longer be considered as suitable suppliers.”
International Focus CEO Ms Thet Thet Hung added: “The OTL programme has helped us to truly understand the value and necessity of ethical recruitment in the seafood industry. Progress has stalled because of the political situation in Myanmar, but we hope that companies will once again put worker welfare standards first and advertise that they want to work with ethical recruitment agencies.
“We are very proud to be one of the first recruitment agencies to achieve this recognition. All our policies and procedures are now in place and we are ready for any audit to measure our performance. We now need that commitment to translate into business, with employers putting ethical standards as well as high quality service at the top of their criteria for choosing their recruitment agency partners.”
The views in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the STF.