Dec 2000, Victory par garment workers

00-12-19, Par Garment workers win another court case!

From the Thai Labour list

Dear friends,

After two and a half years of court proceeding, 24 Par Garment workers win their case at the labour court today. This is another achievement of the Par Garment workers. Since June this year, the Par garment union settle and won three pending court cases as follows;

In June, 137 workers settled the case on unpaid bonuses for 1997 and 1998 with the company at the labour court and that the company agreed to pay 90% of the two years unpaid bonuses to these workers. (at the beginning the company offer only 40%).
On 18 December, five union committee won the case at the supreme court. The company is ordered to reinstate all the five workers.
On 28 December, 24 union members that were facing with unlawful dismissed since May 25 1998 (at the same time as the five union committee members), won their case at the labour court, and the company was order to pay full compensation to every workers (an average amount of 53,000 baht (US$1,250)). The Par Garment workers have proof to Thai Labour movement that NOT TO GIVE UP!

At the moment, the company still does not allow those five union committee members to enter the factory ground but gives them salary and they have to go to report to the guard at the factory gate. The company also tries very hard to offer huge compensation money to these five workers, in an order that they must resign. The management kept on saying to the workers' lawyer that they company 'definitely' cannot allow these five workers to return to the factory.

However, all the five union committee members refuse the offer and demand that the supreme court order must be respected and that they all should have allowed to go back to work.

After being refused to go back to work (with pay), the five workers has reported to the Labour Relation Committee about the company resistant and not allow them to go back to factory although there is a supreme court order.

We are still not sure whether the Par Garment company will appeal the case of 24 workers to the supreme court or not. But if they do so, we think that the workers will win. If the company appeal the case, it will be just to withhold of the payment to these workers.

For any of you who want to know more about Par Garment you can visit the Clean Clothes Campaign website. I have also written a detail study on Par Garment Workers as well in my report on codes of conduct which will be published by AMRC soon.