ILO and Thai employers advance responsible business practices in Thailand’s rubber industry

The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Employers’ Confederation of Thailand (ECOT) brought together rubber manufacturers and suppliers to identify practical ways to address labour risks, promote responsible business practices and strengthen trade and investment readiness in Thailand’s rubber industry.

Thailand is the world’s largest producer of natural rubber, accounting for approximately 4.8 million tonnes, or 32 per cent of global production, in 2024. China, Malaysia and Japan are among its major export markets. As buyers and investors place growing emphasis on responsible business conduct, addressing labour risks is increasingly important for maintaining market access and strengthening supply chain resilience.

Thailand’s rubber supply chain encompasses cultivation and harvesting, processing and trading, and downstream manufacturing. Labour risks can arise at each stage, with particular challenges in upstream production, where activities are fragmented among smallholders and working conditions may be less visible to downstream buyers. The roundtable drew on findings from an ILO-supported rapid diagnostic assessment of labour conditions and challenges across the supply chain.

Building on these discussions, the ILO and ECOT plan to work with interested downstream manufacturers and midstream suppliers to pilot practical approaches to improving labour practices and managing risks. The initiative will support enterprises, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in understanding fundamental principles and rights at work and evolving buyer requirements, while addressing labour risks, including those affecting migrant workers. Planned support includes labour risk assessments, guidance on compliance with labour standards, occupational safety and health, responsible recruitment, access to social security, targeted training and practical tools, such as employment contract templates. The pilots will help participating enterprises identify priority risks and implement improvements suited to their needs and capacities.

“Strengthening labour practices across the rubber supply chain is essential to maintaining Thailand’s competitiveness and attracting responsible trade and investment. ECOT is committed to helping employers, particularly smaller enterprises, meet international market expectations,” said Mrs. Siriwan Romchatthong, Secretary-General of the Employers’ Confederation of Thailand (ECOT).

Strengthening labour practices across the rubber supply chain is essential to maintaining Thailand’s competitiveness and attracting responsible trade and investment. ECOT is committed to helping employers, particularly smaller enterprises, meet international market expectations. Mrs. Siriwan Romchatthong, Secretary-General of the Employers’ Confederation of Thailand (ECOT).

Recognizing that smaller suppliers may face financial, technical and commercial constraints, the initiative will also promote greater collaboration across the supply chain. Lessons from the pilots will inform ECOT's advocacy for a more equitable sharing of responsibilities and costs, including the role of downstream manufacturers and buyers in supporting improvements in labour practices among their suppliers.

Through this phased approach, the ILO and ECOT aim to demonstrate how practical enterprise support, improved labour risk management and stronger buyer–supplier collaboration can contribute to decent work, responsible trade and investment, and more resilient supply chains in Thailand and beyond.

The initiative is implemented under the ILO project Strengthening Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and Trade Readiness in Thailand, funded by the Government of Canada through Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

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