Database survey of women homeworkers

In July 1998, the Northern Thai Informal Sector Labour Network was established as a result of the workshop entitled "The Situation of Homebased Workers in the North". During the workshop, the participants, representatives of goverment organizations (GOs), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), academics and homeworkers (HWs), strongly recommended that a forum for the exchange of experience, resources, and information should be launched. The workshop participants concluded that, in order to undertake the tasks involved in strengthening the position of HWs, the agencies concerned should cooperate more closely and adopt a holistic approach. Issues raised at the meeting included questions as to the actual number of HWs, where they are, what kind of work they do, what kind of problems they face, and what should be done to help and support them from their point of view. In order to answer these questions and to draw up appropriate and concrete implementation guidelines and development plans, it was agreed that a database survey would have to be conducted.

In November 1998, Homenet International decided to fund the database survey. The survey concerned the number, situation, problems and suggestions of HWs in nine provinces in the Upper North of Thailand: Chiang Mai; Chiang Rai; Lamphun; Lampang; Phayao; Phrae; Nan; Mae Hong Son; and Uttradith.

The survey team was able to use secondary sources, thanks to the support of GOs such as Industry Promotion Center 1, the Technical Support for Community Development Center and the Chiang Mai Social Welfare and Labour Protection Office, and of NGOs such as PDA, CARE, the YMCA, the Pakanyaw Mae Hong Son Handicraft Project and the Credit Union. In addition, the survey team carried out separate data collection in the field to crosscheck and update the information provided by agencies.

General Database

The survey ascertained that there are 19,261 HWs, forming 718 groups, in the North. The different kinds of home-based work in this region (38 kinds off-farm), include food processing, cloth and bamboo weaving and the manufacture of garments, shoes, silverware and lacquerware. Most of the HWs in the North (6,970 persons) are involved in cloth weaving. Phrae has the maximum number of HWs (3,596). In the North, home-based jobs follow three patterns: self-employment, subcontracting or a combination of the two. Most HWs are, however, purely self-employed.

Problems

1. Insufficient capital
2. Lack of marketing channels and information
3. Lack of skills necessary for operating high-quality production
4. Irregular ordering
5. Unaffordability of high-quality, modern and appropriate materials, equipment, and technology for production
6. Lack of skills in group management, negotiation, accounting, and leadership

Suggestions

On the basis of the data collection, suggestions made by HWs can be presented as follows:

1. Marketing scheme

• Provide marketing information
• Make available permanent markets through the agencies of GOs
• Promotion and advertising
• Training in marketing management

2. Capital and raw materials

• Revolving funds from GOs and NGOs
• Exchange of experiences and information on group savings
• Gaining support for renewable raw materials for use in production
• Information on funding sources

3. Production development

• Product development, pattern, colouring, design
• Development of skills in textile and garment production
• Training in weaving, dyeing, sewing, wood carving

4. Group management

• Provision of training and information concerning group management
• Savings and credit schemes for group members to cover welfare, medical treatment, health and life insurance and urgent loans
• Development of skills in coordination, negotiation, proposal writing, accounting, etc.
• Methods of encouraging HWs to work energetically and in ways helpful to each other within the group and community

Recommendations of the Survey Team

In order that the position of HWs may be strengthened, the survey team recommends that the parties involved - GOs, NGOs, academics, private sector organizations (PSOs) and HWs - should work together as set out below.

1. Homeworkers should

• Work under group process or cooperative conditions, as a team
• Strengthen production skills and search for appropriate technologies
• Expand their activities in the areas of work, human resources, knowledge and experience in order to be able to learn at a network level
• Prepare and collect information in partnership with GOs, NGOs, PSOs and academics
• Live according to the concept of economic self-sufficiency
• Enhance savings schemes among HWs in order to avoid excessive dependency on outsiders

2. GOs should

• Modify their working approach: more participation emphasis on and practical aspects
• Provide incentives for private sector organizations which provide help or funding to the homeworker (HW) programme
• Implement field activities according to the "area approach", not the "agency approach"
• Provide useful information for HWs

3. Private Sector Organizations should

• Provide financial support by granting interest-free or low-interest credit, or by providing funds for HW groups
• Provide training for HWs in order to improve their business knowledge and skills; this should include on-the-job training
• Provide useful information (production, marketing, financial support, etc.) directly to HW groups or via GOs and NGOs

4. NGOs

• Give serious attention to the development of HWs as a task in its own right
• Promote a participatory working approach to enhancing the position of HWs
• Publicize HWs' problems at various levels
• Provide feedback and/or other information which HWs need for decision-making purposes

5. Academics should

• Carry out research and development in order to provide HWs with up-to-date information and to suggest alternatives

General recommendations

The survey did not cover problems in the areas of ergonomics, safety, health and working conditions often found at HWs' workplaces, which, in contrast to most factories, lack regulations forcing workers to protect themselves and keep their environment clean. Especially when the home is used as a workplace, such problems affect not only the HWs themselves but also their families. Some examples of situations where care is needed are listed below.

Textile (cloth weaving) workers should be careful to avoid cotton fever, byssinosis from yarn making, allergic responses, skin rash and eye blurring resulting from the dyeing process and low back pain caused by the weaving process. Most weavers also use hazardous dyes and dyestuffs which may cause cancer if the user is contaminated. Children's physiology may be affected, resulting in loss of appetite, weakness of the limbs or even death. As far as the environment is concerned, plants, ground animals and groundwater may be affected.

Garment workers should be careful to avoid low back pain, inadequate lighting and byssinosis. In some cases, electric wiring has not been properly installed, and accidents can thus easily be caused by short circuits and the use of sewing machines.

Users of mulberry paper and products should be aware that when their hands are soaked for long periods, skin will peel off or become soft and thus tear easily. In such cases, dyes can readily be absorbed by the hands and arms, with the negative consequences mentioned above.

Makers of bamboo coiled jars should treat glue, and the heavy metals contained in pigments with care.

There are still many instances in which HWs lack sufficient awareness concerning harmful substances and conditions, tending to think that the dangers are minor and do not have serious physiological effects. In fact, such effects are often gradual and cumulative. HWs generally want to work fast and thus have little time to concern themselves with their health. Unless they see negative effects suffered by friends, they are reluctant to change the ways in which they work. There should therefore be an intensified campaign to raise the awareness of all HWs with respect to safety, health and clean technologies.

List of abbreviations

Northern Homeworkers Development Centre (Homenet North)

Institute for Science and Technology Research and Development

Chiang Mai University

Dr. Bundit Na Lamphun

Deputy Director

Insitute for Science and Technology Research and Development

Nittaya Nualsiri

Programme Manager

Database Survey on the Number, Situation, and Problems of Homeworkers in the Upper North of Thailand (November 1998)

Asian-Pacific Newsletter 2/1999 p.34-35