The International Labour Organization (ILO) and Thai Union Group have launched a pilot training programme to strengthen frontline leadership skills across Thailand's seafood processing sector. The initiative aims to improve workplace communication, strengthen labour practices and support decent work, particularly in workplaces employing large numbers of migrant workers.
The pilot Supervisory Skills Essential Training forms part of the Seafood Good Labour Practices programme (SGLP), a private sector initiative that promotes responsible business conduct and higher labour standards in Thailand's seafood industry.
© Thai Union Group
Held on 24-25 June 2026 in Samut Sakhon, the training saw supervisors from Thai Union Group, as well as representatives from the Thai Tuna Industry Association and Thai Frozen Foods Association, and their member companies take part.
The training was developed by ILO's Better Work programme and has been successfully implemented in the garment sector worldwide for a number of years.
Thailand's seafood processing industry employs large number of both women and men migrant workers. In diverse workplaces, supervisors play an important role in fostering clear communication, addressing concerns, maintaining productivity and ensuring fair and respectful treatment at work.
Through practical exercises based on real workplace scenarios, participants strengthened their skills in people management, communication, fostering positive workplace relationships, preventing workplace conflict, grievance handling, and non-discrimination and gender-responsive leadership. The training also incorporated cultural awareness to help supervisors apply these approaches in multilingual and multicultural workplaces.
"This pilot training marks an important step towards strengthening workplace relations and advancing decent work in Thailand's seafood sector. The course builds on the ILO's extensive experience in improving working conditions in the garment industry, demonstrating how lessons learned can be successfully adapted and applied across sectors," said Tuomo Poutiainen, Deputy Regional Director of the ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.
Thai Union Group highlighted the value of the collaboration in building practical supervisory skills across its operations and supporting continuous improvement in labor practices.
"Strong supervisors are essential to building workplaces where people feel respected, heard and supported. The Better Work Supervisory Skills Training has a proven track record of improving worker-supervisor relationships and workplace cooperation in other industries. We welcome the opportunity to bring these lessons into the seafood sector through our collaboration with the ILO. Cross-sector learning allows us to accelerate progress and strengthen labour practices in ways that benefit both workers and businesses," said Chung Man Sammie Ho Dumas, Senior Director, Sustainability & Social Impact at Thai Union Group.
Participants noted that the training helped them reflect on their roles not only as production supervisors, but also as leaders responsible for supporting workers' wellbeing. They highlighted that practical changes in communication and management approaches can make a meaningful difference in daily interactions with workers.
The training was delivered through the ILO's EU-funded Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia: Safe Migration for Decent Work in the Blue Economy programme and the Better Work Programme.
About the programmes
Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia: Safe Migration for Decent Work in the Blue Economy is a regional initiative funded by the European Union (EU). The International Labor Organization (ILO) implements the program in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, with the overall objective of promoting safe migration and decent work for a sustainable fish and seafood supply chain in South-East Asia. The program addresses the specific vulnerabilities that migrant workers face in these sectors, as well as the risks they encounter during the labor migration process, which can lead to decent work deficits, labor rights abuses, and forced labor.
Better Work is a collaboration between the United Nations' International Labour Organization and the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group. It is a comprehensive programme bringing together all levels of the garment industry to improve working conditions, respect workers' labour rights and boost the competitiveness of apparel and footwear businesses.
