Thai Labour Campaign: Campaigns

CHRONOLOGY

31 January 2003	Update on Former Bed & Bath Workers Further Information
30 January 2003	Bed and Bath workers ended their first 3 months struggle at the MOL, but their fight still go on. Further Information
9 January 2003	Bed and Bath workers shave their head at the Ministry of Labour. At 18.00 on January 9, seven workers of the Bed and Bath factory started to cut of their hair to protest the failure of the Ministry of Labour to give them their right. Further Information
10 December 2002	Bed and Bath workers join the International Human Rights Day at the United Nation Regional Office in Bangkok on 10 December 2002. The worker's leaderss delivered letters to the representative of the High Commissioner on Human Rights and the ILO officers. Letter to ILO Letter to UN
29 November 2002	350 of Bed & Bath's workers march to the US embassy requesting the ambassdor help pressure Thai government and US company. Further Information Letter to the US ambassdor
26 November 2002	Workers rights Consortium from USA write a letter to Thai Prime Minister Letter to Thai Prime Minister
23 November 2002	The Workers of Bed and Bath Prestige Co. Ltd.demonstrated in front of Shangri-La. Where there was the "The 2 nd International Conference of Political Parties" submit the letter to Thai PM. Letter to Asian Politician Leaders
18 November 2002	Thai Labour Solidarity Committee and theThai Labour Campaign organized a forum for Bed and Bath workers at the Ministry of labour. The discussion was on "The legal that has been violated on Bed and Bath Case. A Human Rights Commissioner, a Lawyer from Lawyer Council of Thailand, The Labour Leader and Thai Labour Campaign coordinator discussed on the issue of the labour violation of Bed and Bath. A highlight is a role play by the workers showing the working condition in the factory. Student activists band and Bed and Bath workers were singing together until 11 PM.
5 November 2002	Workers' representatives listened to the clarification by the officers at noon in the meeting room of the Ministry of Labour; chaired by Mr.Mahannop Detwitak, the advisor from the Ministry of Labour's Office. The clarifications were as follows: - No progress had been made in arresting Mr. Chaiyapat Phothikamjorn and Miss Auyporn Songpornprasert. - In the case of workers' money contributed to the social security fund, the officers have to investigate whether somebody has been witholding the legally required contribution or not. - The state officers promised to investigate Mr. Chaiyapat's companies. - In the case of export products, the police asked for the cooperation of the Customs Department in the investigation.
4 November 2002	Over 300 workers rallied at the NIKE Inc. branch office in Bangkok located at the Green Tower building. A letter was submitted and discussions were held with NIKE representatives in Thailand about the problems. The cause of the problem is that Mr. Chaiyapat, the employer, has moved his head office to Tak province and has left Bed & Bath Prestige Co. workers in Prapadaeng without payment. After talking with the manager of NIKE Inc. in Bangkok workers went back to the Ministry of Labour. NIKE Code of Conduct-Fake Corporation Ethic? Ask B&B workers
1 November 2002	Over 300 workers marched to the National Police Headquarters to submit the letter to the Chief Police demanding of them that they immediately arrest their employers.
31 October 2002	Mr. Pornchai Youprayong, vice chief of the Social Welfare and Labour Protection, police representatives and the president of Commerce Development Office in Samutprakarn explained to the workers' representatives the following: 1. In the case of the company's alleged relocation; the investigation shows that the building owner in Tak does not know Mr. Chaiyapat. 2. In the investigation as to the legal requirement that three percent of employees' wages be contributed to the Social Security Fund, the workers should gave wage receipts to the social security officers for continued investigation. 3.The police are now searching for the employers.
29 October 2002	Over 200 workers demonstrated in front of Government House giving information to media and calling for the justice.
28 October 2002	Workers' representatives met with Mrs. Paweena, an advisor to the Minister of Labour and labour officers from Prapadaeng. They handed them a photocopy of the warrant of arrest and the letter-issued by the Ministry of Labour -demanding that the government prevent the employer from going abroad.
25 October 2002	The Ministry issued a letter stating that on Oct. 24 the labour officers in Samutprakarn province had ordered the employer to pay wages to 301 workers worth 1,128,022.50 bath. The court in Samutprakarn had issued the warrants of arrest for Mr. Chaiyapat and Miss Ayuporn charging them with laying off workers without advance notice, not paying wages and the violation of official Ministry of Labour rules.
24 October 2002	While waiting for the answer from the Ministry scheduled for that afternoon, the workers had seen the Minister of Labour's car exiting from the building. They immediately gathered round his car and waited to talk with him. After a long negotiation, the officers stated that the Bed & Bath Prestige Co. has not closed the enterprise but that it had relocated its office to 227/4 Intarakiri Rd., Maesod, Tak province. The investigation of the Ministry of Social security found that the wages of 19 workers had not been contributed to the social security office in August. Among the 60 workers' names checked, only 47 were found to be on the list of employees who have rights to be protected under the social security program. The police sent out a summons to the employers.
22 October 2002	Workers' representatives submitted a letter to the Ministry of Labour calling for 1. legal action against the employer. 2. The status of the required contribution to the social security fund by the employers. 3. Investigation of the factory's closure. The officers in the Ministry replied to them that they would release the result of the investigation on October 24. That afternoon, the police informed workers' representatives of the charges against their employers and interrogated them about the case. The officers also tried to persuade the workers to write down a Form #7 type complaint. Some of them did so but most of them refused and insisted that they needed to meet with the employers.
21 October 2002	Workers went to the company with the expectation of resuming work. However, instead they found that the company had placed an announcement in front stating that "Any worker who would like to contact Bed & Bath Prestige Co., please wait outside until the lawyers arrive, thank you". Then, workers decided to notify the police in Prapadaeng Station charging that the employer of the company had not payed wages. The police tried to avoid acting in this case. However, finally the workers were able to properly notify the authorities regarding the case. The workers then moved on to demonstrate in front of the Government House. After negotiation with state officers, they decided to collectively stay at the Ministry of Labour until they were able to meet with the employer and have their demands met.
15 October 2002	Around 50 workers had gone to the company expecting as agreed upon to receive their wages. Shockingly, the list of names that the company announced were not their own. The company used a trick to avoid paying wages.
11 October 2002	There was a negotiation between the employer's representative-second lieutenant Sumroeng Pongpluk, and 12 workers' representatives witnessed by Mr. Aphai Juntanajulaka, the permanent secretary of the Labour Ministry and other labour officers. After that, the company insisted that there would be no closure and promised to continue its manufacturing again on October 21. The back-wages in question would also be paid on October 15. Everyone was satisfied with the answers and went back home.
10 October 2002	When the workers arrived at the factory the guard told them that Mr. Chaiyapat ordered him to close the factory and prohibited anybody to go inside. So, they gathered in front and sent 10 representatives to meet with Mr. Pornchai Youprayong, vice secretary of the Welfare and Labour Protection Department. He promised to deal with the problems and invited the employer to meet with him the next day. Then the officers there had brought the complaint form (no. 7) for workers to write down and sign.
9 October 2002	The workers came to work as usual but air-conditioners and fans in the work place were turned off. They informed this the labour officers of this. After the officers came, they met with the company's legal counsel. The company had brought a list of the owrkers' names for a "sign-in" and the work day began. Five workers' representatives were called to talk with the company about compensation payment in the case of a lay off but a deal could not be reached. At 3 p.m., every worker had finished signing and the result of the day's talks was that the company's new policy would be to have a sign-in list established by section for every worker to sign on the next day.
8 October 2002	Workers came to the factory but found the doors closed at 8.15. The guard told them that the company was closed that day. At 9 a.m., the guard opened the door and around half of them enter the factory. The others gathered in front of the factory. In the evening, the labour officers told them to return to work on the next day.
7 October 2002	The guard told the workers who came to work that the company was closed. They gathered in front and phoned the labour officers in the Welfare and Labour Protection Office in Samutprakarn. After the officers came, they met with Mr. Jaroon Jaroenkitpan, the company's legal advisor. After talking, they told the workers to come back to work.
5 October 2002	In the morning, the guard told workers that there would be no work that day. He asked them to go back home, but to return later to receive money at 3 p.m. However, when more and more workers came, the company allowed them to go inside but not to work that day. Eventually, the company just paid them money and let them return back home.