Factors Affecting the State of Empowerment of Migrant Workers through Complaint Mechanisms: Comparative Study of Migrant Workers in Thailand and Japan

Abstract

Migrant workers, one of vulnerable worker population, are likely to live and spend their lives in poverty an expose to limited chances and options. This study aims to identify factors affecting different state of empowerment using migrant workers' decisions to promptly respond to labourrelated problems as a proxy. This study uses a quantitative approach, Multinomial Logistic Model, as well as a qualitative approach, an analysis of interviews. The study applies Thailand and Japan, as developing and developed countries where sharing same characteristics as net immigrant countries in East and South East Asia. During 2012-2015, a total of 150 migrant workers, 75 migrants in Thailand and 75 migrants in Japan, were interviewed with the focus on low-skilled migrant workers. Though the characteristics of migrant workers in these two countries are generally different, factors affecting migrant workers being in the state of empowerment are indifferent