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Thai workers rally in front of the US embassy
‘Stop FTA, Stop selling Thailand’.
11 Jan 2006
10 January 2006, 6PM.,Trade unions from state enterprises union confederations and different industrial areas including Rungsit, Omnoi-Omyai, Ayuthaya, Prapadaeng and the Eastern part of Thailand will stage a rally in front of the US embassy on 10 th January 2006 to ‘Stop FTA, Stop selling Thailand'.
“Globalized free trade has impacted workers all over the country, particularly on the issue of wages and benefits. They are not sufficient for living since the government has been trying to keep them down to the bottom line to attract investment. Currently, the minimum wage in Thailand has 18 rates [depending on the area], and ranges between 139 to 184 Baht[USD 3.4 to 4.6]. The majority of workers earn the minimum wage which is not enough for living, even for one person,” said Sukarnta Sookpaita the president of the Women Workers Unity Group. She added that “If the US-Thai FTA is signed, factories located in higher wages area would be shut down and it would affect many trade unions.”
 Wilaiwan Saetia, the president of the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee said “We sent a letter to the U.S. Embassy to refuse their invitation for an informal meeting with them on 10 January and called for the US trade negotiators to listen to the problems of the workers by themselves, since the rank and file workers will rally at the embassy. There will be labor leaders and workers who have experience unjustified dismissal and union intimidation.” The Thai Labour Solidarity Committee is a national coalition of trade unions, labor federation, workers groups based in industrial areas, and labour organizations and NGOs, with a total of 28 member organizations.
“Not only workers will be present to join the protest, both from the private and state sector, there will also be Thai people in every sector who face higher living costs since the welfare mechanism provided under the state enterprises systems would be privatized to fully open for Thai and foreign investors to gain profit madly,” said Sirichai Mai-ngarm , the general secretary of the State Enterprise Labour Relations Confederation.
“We have met with the US government representatives several times and we insist that the Thai government has to strictly comply with the basic labour rights under the core International Labor Organization conventions” said Somsak Kosaisook , the general secretary of the Labor Coordinating Center . “Labor organizations have together signed a letter to submit to the US President George Bush to stop the negotiations since this FTA would benefit only capitalists, while the majority of Thais including workers and farmers would not gain anything,” added Somsak.
The demonstration in front of the US embassy is held in Bangkok because the workers have to work during the day in factories, and they cannot travel to Chiang Mai for the protests being staged at the cite of the sixth round of the FTA negotiations. But they are showing solidarity with people in Chiang Mai by staging a rally in front of the US embassy and they are prepared to submit a letter signed by 15 organizations through the embassy to the US President and in unity declare “We protest against US-Thai FTA because Thailand is not for sale!”
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