Bed
& Bath workers end picket
Dear all,
31 Jan 2003 - Please find below the message we just received
from the Thai Labour Campaign about the partial victory gained
by the Bed & Bath workers!
Dear friends,
Though it is 3 a.m. in the morning and I have just reached
home from celebrating with the Bed and Bath workers but I decided
to write to all of you to report about the Bed and Bath workers'
decision to stop demonstrating at the Ministry of Labour (MOL).
This doesn't mean that the workers stop their struggle. The
struggle still continue and that a group of workers will work
on their case to bring their employers who are now hiding in
the US to be on trial.
Due to much economic pressure, the 171 remaining workers [out
of 350 workers] of Bed and Bath decided to take the package
from Ministry of Labour today for the amount of 8,900 baht each
[about 180 workers have received they back waged [about 9,900
baht] since early January and left]. This is mean that they
[171 workers] have all together received USD 450[9,900+8,900
= 18,800]. Excluding the emergency assistance packages, it is
mean that 30% of workers received 80% of they compensation,
50% received 30% and 20% receive10% of their legal compensation.
However, leaving the MOL doesn't mean that they have stopped
their struggle, they have appointed leaders to continue follow
up on their case on behalf of all of them to pressure the government
to bring their employers to trial.
For the mean time, they leaders have rent a house to be a coordinating
center and for the operation of their cooperative apparel factory.
About 60 workers have agreed to set up a cooperative to start
their own factory. Their logo "Made in Unity" produced
by Bed and Bath workers have been introduced both local and
international friends and alliances and that they have already
starting to look for alternative customers---unions and fair
trade shop[if possible]. The MOL has agreed to guarantee the
loan and grant some loan for the workers to start the cooperative.
Also their is some subsidy money that would be grant to each
worker involve in the cooperative as well. Thai Labour Campaign
will help to publicize and continue to support the workers in
this process. Please see some of their sample at workers' alternative
column at www.thailabour.org
"We decide to set up cooperative because we don't want
to work in the factory anymore, it is all the same and that
we will be exploited again, it has never end". Sujanthra,
a woman leader has told us of the reason why they would want
to set up the cooperative.
The workers realize that without support from local trade unions,
TLC and international pressure from many groups like the Clean
Clothes Campaign, Nike Watch Campaign, UNITE, Campaign for Labour
Rights, Marquila Solidarity Network, the Workers Rights Consortium,
the Fair Labour Association, ITGLWF, and many labour organizations
in Asia, Europe and America, plus numerous trade unionists and
individuals from around the world that help to pressure their
customers -- Nike, Adidas, Haddad, Reebok and Levi's-- it would
have been impossible for them to be able to carry on their fight
for this long. They have given a long applaud to all the name
of supporters mentioned to them tonight. I promised them that
I would convey they thanks to all of you who have been support
and follow up on their struggle. THANK YOU!
I think that we can say that, at certain level, they have achieved
satisfaction victory, though they haven't get full compensation
yet. This is because of their struggle, we manage to get the
MOL to increase the payment for back wages to Thai workers from
30 day of minimum wage to 60 days of minimum wage level and
compensation money from one month to two months for those workers
with over 6 years of employment. Thai Labour movement have benefited
from the Bed and Bath struggle. For the Bed and Bath, they know
very well that without struggle, they would have received no
money at all.
Most important, most of their reflecting tonight confirm to
us that they regard their struggle as a valuable learning experiences
for them to understand Thai bureaucracy, labour laws, and to
realize that the workers have to struggle to enforce the law.
The workers still continue their struggle thought it is going
to be in a difference way, but their courage and determination
to take their employers to trial is still very strong.
Tonight is going to be a long and sleepless night for all the
Bed and Bath workers who were still very much singing, dancing
and having their first beer for the first time after three months
of their struggle, when I left them at 2 am. Tomorrow early
morning they all have to leave the MOL building so they all
want to spend last night together before their separation.
We will keep you inform of the second phase of the Bed and
Bath struggle. For the mean time, THANK YOU VERY MUCH for all
your solidarity support to the Bed and Bath workers.
In solidarity,
Junya Lek Yimprasert
Coordinator, Thai Labour Campaign
