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Letter of Appeal to Maisto Distributors

To Maisto Distributor
April 4, 2000

Dear Sir/ Madam,

We need your urgent help. Master Toy Company and Maisto Manufacturing, in Thailand, produce products that you distribute for Maisto International. For many years these Thai companies have not treated their staff very well, but now it has reached a crisis point.

The workers are now being asked to work in inhumane conditions. They are given only 15 mins for lunch and fined almost a dollar if they return late (their daily wage is only US$3.50). The are forced to by their own protective equipment, their new premises are not complete, but workers must travel 180km per day to that site and the list goes on and on.

The main issues are:

  • New location not ready, no dormitory, workers travel 180 km per day (4 hours), no canteen, production line not complete, emergency exits locked, workers not allowed to leave factory grounds during breaks, no safety equipment.
  • No protective equipment is supplied, workers buy their own.
  • Violation of labour laws, worked offered only 50% of applicable compensation on retrenchment.
  • Discrimination against union members, workers fired or demoted for supporting the union.
  • Human rights violations, husband and wife are fined 100 baht (almost a daily wage) for spending more than one hour together, after working hours, in the dormitory.
  • Workers fined for not wearing 'appropriate' shoes. (No shoes supplied with uniform)

What can you do? PLEASE write to the CEO of Maisto International in California and ask him to intervene on behalf of the Thai workers. All we want is for the Thai companies to:

  • respect the workers right (in Thai law) to form a union
  • adhere to Thai labour laws
  • stop human rights violations
  • provide industry standard protective equipment
  • improve living conditions in dormitories
  • provide internationally acceptable safety standards in factories (ie: unlock emergency exits!)
  • fit out the new factory properly before workers commence at that site

We are NOT asking for huge pay rises, we are just asking for very basic rights to be respected.

There are many more details provided in the attached documents.

We thank you for your time and hope that you will be able to assist us in this matter.

Please don’t forget the workers that make the products that provide your company with its profits.

 

Yours sincerely,

Mr. Prasit Prasertdee

Chairman of Master Toy Labour Union