Summary of Master Toy Campaign

From the 29th March to the 26th of July 2000, over 400 workers of Master Toy company, which produces "Maisto" die cast model cars, protested against the company for injustly dismissing 174 workers without paying them any compensation. Before that, the company had a history of violating their worker's rights: fining wives or girlfriends for visiting their husband or boyfriends, selectively maltreating union members, refusing to provide protective equipment, and moving workers out of the factory to work in a warehouse.

During the protest, workers camped in front of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and later moved to camp in front of the Government House when the Ministry of Labour failed to act on their case and enforce its own labour laws.

Throughout the four months of this struggle, the workers faced many pressures: economic necessity to work, intimidation by the mafia and pressure by the government authorities trying to stop their demonstration in front of the Government House.

To bring awareness to their cause the workers marched and demonstrated outside of the US and the Chinese embassies in Bangkok as well as send representatives to meet with many newspapers.

The international community did react. Reseau-Solidarit? (Solidarity Network) and Clean Clothes Campaign help to organize letters of protest that were sent to Master Toy company headquarters in Hong Kong and the Thai authorities, imploring them to act on the case. The Hong Kong Toy Coalition protested in front of the head office in Hong Kong twice and launched an investigation of Master Toy factories in China, where workers are facing similarly abusive working conditions.

In the face of this local and international solidarity, the company acquiesced and the workers were awarded all of their demands on the 26th of July 2000.