Body Fashion Thailand, a subsidiary of Triumph International, has fired a union leader for wearing a political t-shirt. Thousands of workers are protesting her unjust dismissal.

On July 30, 2008, a Thai subsidiary of Triumph International, one of the world’s largest makers of intimate apparel, dismissed union president Jitra Kotshadej for wearing an unfashionable t-shirt. She wasn’t wearing the t-shirt at work, and it wasn’t the colour or the design of the t-shirt that caused offence. It was the message that caused the problem: ‘Those who do not stand are not criminals. Thinking differently is not a crime.’ The t-shirt refers to the abuse of lèse-majesté legislation to suppress political opposition and the right of people to refrain from standing during the royal anthem. Ms. Kotshadej was participating in a late night TV debate on women’s reproductive rights when she wore the t-shirt. Despite the fact that she was speaking in her private time and did not claim to speak for Triumph's Body Fashion (Thailand) Ltd Factory, she was dismissed. Since then, 3000 of her co-workers walked out of the factory in a show of solidarity, demanding the reinstatement of their union president.

On July 29, 2008 the management of Body Fashion Thailand (BFT) notified Jitra Kotshadej, president of the Triumph International Labour Union, that she was dismissed, taking effect on the next day, July 30. Management claimed that Kotshadej defamed the reputation of the company by wearing the t-shirt in a Thai TV program on April 24, 2008. Without Ms. Kotshadej’s prior knowledge, the company had filed a petition with the labour court and received permission to dismiss her. Ms. Kotshadej never even had a chance to defend herself, since she was not told about the case by management, and she never received the summons nor the court order.

After her dismissal, 3000 Triumph International Labour Union members immediately went on strike in solidarity with their union president. The workers are demanding Ms. Kotshadej’s reinstatement and a guarantee that the company won’t take any disciplinary measures against workers participating in the strike. The Triumph International Labour Union is one of the strongest unions in Thailand, with 70 percent union membership at the company. The majority of members are women. The union views the dismissal of their president as a veiled attack on the union, which successfully negotiated a collective bargaining agreement this summer.

Despite several meetings between the union, factory management and government officials, no agreement has been reached in this case. The Swiss headquarters of Triumph International has reportedly refused to accept any agreement that included reinstatement of the union president. In a letter to the CCC dated August 8, the company refuses to respond to the call for reinstatement of Ms. Kotshadej’s. Also in a leaflet distributed amongst the striking workers on August 13, it was explicitly mentioned that the company would not rehire the union president. In response to pressure from the CCC, Triumph International later claimed to agree with the three demands presented by the workers, but then issued a statement in which it expressed its unwillingness “to discuss reinstatement of the former employee at this time”. The Triumph International Labour Union has presented the company with 2500 signatures of union members supporting the fight for reinstatement, which it refused to accept. For more information, visit the Thai Labour Campaign

Triumph International should immediately guarantee Ms. Kotshadej the basic human right of freedom of expression, which is part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as of the OECD guidelines for Multinational Enterprises that lays down the principles companies should adhere to regarding labour and consumer rights. In its refusal to sign negotiated agreements, Triumph International has deliberately dragged out this case. Protesting workers remain without salary for almost a month. Nevertheless, they maintain strong support for the union president. As they say: “One worker has been fighting for many years in support of thousands of workers at the factory, so now we are fighting for that one worker”.

Update: Nov 6, 2008 - Triumph Union Continues Fight for Fairness

Please support the Triumph International workers in Thailand, and call for the immediate reinstatement of their union president. Write today to Triumph International’s headquarters in Switzerland.