Thai berry pickers in Sweden complain of cheating by broker

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BANGKOK, Oct 8 – Over 200 Thai workers lodged a complaint with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) yesterday about employment cheating by a job placement company.

Somsak Samerthup, 37, the labour representative, said the Thai workers were hired through M Phoenix Enterprise Co, based in Chaiyaphum province, to pick berries in Sweden but found upon arrival in the country that there was not enough work for them.

He said about 500 Thai workers had been cheated, as they were taken to Sweden between July 24 and September 27 and each employee was required to pay at least Bt80,000 to the job placement company.

They were told that they would make more money than the Bt80,000 expenses from picking berries in Swedish farms but on arrival found out that there was an oversupply of Thai labour force there, said Mr Somsak.

The workers asked the DSI to investigate the company, based in Kaeng Kro district, Chaiyaphum, and said they could not pay their debts upon their return to Thailand.

The workers were mostly from Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen and Udon Thani.