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November 26, 2002
The Honorable Thaksin Shinawatra
Prime Minister of Thailand
Government House
Bangkok
Dear Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra,
I write as Executive Director of the Worker Rights Consortium
(WRC) to express my profound concern about the situation
of the employees of Bed and Bath Prestige, a garment factory
in Bangkok that recently closed. It is our understanding
that Bed and Bath shut its doors without notice to workers,
without paying severance and with workers owed substantial
amounts in unpaid wages. In addition to violating of Thai
law, these actions violate the Codes of Conduct of the dozens
of universities in the United States whose clothing has
been manufactured at Bed and Bath - many of these universities
are members of the WRC.
The WRC is a code of conduct monitoring organization representing
110 universities in the United States, including many of
the nation's largest and most prestigious institutions.
It is our responsibility to ensure that factories producing
garment for these universities respect basic worker rights.
There is great concern in the United States, especially
in the university community, about the working conditions
in Thailand and other countries where garments are produced
for export to the American market. Bed and Bath is already
a well-known case in the U.S. and in Europe and, if workers
are not treated justly and in accordance with law, this
concern will only grow.
We know your government is sensitive to the concerns of
foreign buyers and U.S. consumers about worker rights issues
and the implementation of codes of conduct. We urge you
to do everything you can to ensure that Thai labor law is
fully and faithfully enforced in this case and that the
workers of Bed and Bath receive all compensation they are
due. A just outcome will require swift action by your government,
since workers who have lost their jobs without warning cannot
afford to wait indefinitely for the compensation they need
to support their families.
Please let us know how the Thai government will address
this problem and what steps you will take to ensure that
Bed and Bath workers are treated in a manner consistent
with Thai law and applicable Codes of Conduct.
Thank you very much for your consideration of this vital
matter.
Sincerely,
Scott Nova
Executive Director
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