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ASIA PACIFIC-------------------------------------------------------ACTION! WORKERS
________________________________________________________________________________Vol. 1V No. 4
Monthly Email and fax news sheet about workers organizing in the region April 1999
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Garment Workers dismissed from Jacket Manufacturer in Thailand
Company Closes factory, 150 workers dismissed without compensation after refusing to negotiate union wage demand.
Company tries to Ban Union from Thailand operations.
Workers of the Splendid Garment Factory located in the Baangplee Industrial Estate, Samuthprakarn (Thailand) disclosed information about the wicked recognition by the Thai Government are as a result of the hard work of Thai workers.
Thai Jacket Union submitted a demand on January 6, 1999 to the Splendid Thailand Ltd. to increase the wages of the workers. At that time the workers were receiving 162 Baht (USD 4.30) per day. However this was not enough to cover living costs. The company refused to negotiate. The union workers invoked the conciliation procedures with the Labour Department, Labour Department force the company to negotiate, they set the Conciliation talks for 13 January. Than company asked and the union agreed to postpone the talks until 19 January 1999. January 19th the company suggested to the union and the talks took place only between the company and the union but no agreement was made. The union again sought conciliation talks but the company refuses to participate. At least five attempts were made to hold these talks but the company did not appear on each occasion.
February 18 the company said that there was a decline in production orders and asked the workers to stay home on 70% wages from 22-28 February. On February 20 the workers returned to the factory and gathered inside the factory in front of the factory building demanding that the lockout be lifted and that they be able return to work. The company declared this action as an illegal picket. However the workers stayed infront of the factory on a 24 hour basis.
March 4th Company dismissed 130 of the workers and took 9 union leader to Court claiming damages of 700,000 Baht (USD 19,000). The company announced that it was completely closing down because of the action of the workers and the union. The Company refused to pay and redundancy compensation because of what they called the "illegal picket line."
Workers continued their action outside the factory and on 29th March demonstration was held in Bangkok to the Labour Ministry where the
Labour Ministry officials met with representatives of the union and promised to call a meeting with the union and the company on 1st April. In the meeting the
company wished to continue the business in Thailand but without the union as the union always made demands and problems for the company. The Union said if the company closed down it must pay compensation to the workers and the union will be agree to withdraw the wag demand. The Managing Director of Splendid (Thailand) Ltd., Mr. Hilmar Sauer replied that he could not make these decisions, they had to be made in Duesseldorf not in Bangkok. He promised an answer by 8th April.
Workers of Splendid Thailand Jacket Factory are still on strike. Company has offered compensation but it is below the legal minimum wage for compensation.
Workers continues demand to be for reinstatement.
The workers of Splendid Thailand Jacket want more solidarity support Internationally. Workers are demanding to:
Re-open Splendid Jacket factory in Thailand and reinstate all dismissed workers.
Company drop the damages action against the 9 union leaders.
Please send protest letters to:
Mr Hilmar sauer
Managing Director
Splendid (Thailand) Ltd
140 Moo 17, New town,
3 Bangplee, Industrial Estate
Teparaks Road, Samuthprakarn Province 10540
Thailand.
Tel: 66-2-315 1007
Fax: 66-2-315 1009
Email: splbkk@mozart.inet.co.th
Asian Head Quarters
8th Floor, Chung Shun Knitting Centre
1-3, Wing Yip Street
Kwai Chung
New Territories
Hong Kong
Tel 852-2422-8332
If you require more information or any question please contact Somyot Pruksakasemsuk, CLIST Thailand Email: clist@loxinfo.co.th Fax: 66-2-972 7035 and also contact to Kelly Dent, CoordinatorTIE-Asia Email: tieasia@sri.lanka.net
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Workers' Rallies, Processions
Mark May Day
The International Labor Day popularly known as the May Day observed every
year in memory of the "Chicago Martyrs" who had laid down their lives for
the right of workers is mark by worldwide rallies and processions.
Working Women Organization and Asia Pacific Workers Solidarity Links-Pakistan
with the collaboration of "All Pakistan Trade Union Federation" and "Progressive Youth
Organization" held processions and rallies on May 1, 1999.
Thousands of workers (men & women) all over the country took part in
the mass protest procession and rallies on "International Labor Day" and
pay homage to Chicago Martyrs and registered their agitation against anti
worker & people polices persuade by the government putting restriction upon
exercise of fundamental constitutional human and trade union rights and
keeping them on wages even below subsistence level and worse form of
employment, contract, temporary, inhuman and hazards work and aggravating
massive unemployment.
Workers and children rallies were taken out from industrial areas such as
Gulberg, Kotlakhpat, Green Town, Shadhara, Dharm Pura. These rallies joined
the main procession at Working Women Organization's office in Gulberg
Industrial Area. Women Workers from other cities like Sheikhupura, Sialkot
and Faislabad also joined the procession. Demonstrators carried banners,
red flags and chanting slogans " long live workers unity", "long live
Chicago Martyrs" "eliminate black laws", "reinstate the May Day holiday",
"eliminate all discrimination against women", "down with capitalist and
feudalism", "down with high cost, unemployment, anti people policies of IMF
and World Bank", "down with anti trade union and workers downsizing,
retrenchment and privatization policies of government"
Procession started from Gulberg Industrial Area Lahore and led by Rubina
Jamil, Coordinator APWSL, Simy Gulzar, Salma Liaqut, Aima Mahmood and
Sofia Raj from WorkingWomen Organization and Gulzar Ahmed Choudhary,
Fazal Wahid and Yousaf Baloch from All Pakistan Trade Union Federation and
Nasir Choudhary and Muhammad Siddique from Progressive Youth Organization.
>From Press Club Lahore Pakistan Workers Confederation's procession joined
WWO, APTUF and PYO's procession. In spite of extremely hot weather and
burning sun processionists marched on different roads. They wanted to reach
in front of Assembly Hall but police put the barriers and by force stopped
the processionists to reach the Assembly Hall. Then workers held mass rally
before of High Court. Rubina Jamil, Salma Liaqut and Sofia Raj addressed
the rally. While paying homage to the Chicago martyrs they said, great
number of women are working in different sectors like factories, public and
private sectors, in brick kilns, agricultural etc. Globalization and free
trade policies have gave free hand to capitalists and multinationals
companies to exploit workers (men & women). Labor laws can not bound them
to respect workers rights because in various countries they have set up
their own free trade Zones. Where no labor laws implement.
Enormous numbers of women are working in free trade zones. Who are entirely
deprive of very basic workers rights, such as minimum wage, job security,
proper safety & health measurements, trade union right and collective
bargaining. Often women workers work at factories as temporary, casual,
daily basis and piece rate. Factory owners forced them for overtime with
out extra payments. They demanded that minimum wage should be RS. 6000.
They condemned swiftly expanding mental and physical violence against
women. Women are not secure at their homes as well as their workplaces.
Further more due to government policies which are imposed by IMF, World
Bank and other supper powers' puppet financial institutes the number of
informal sector or home based workers are growing rapidly. Bulk of women
are working as home based workers who are not cover by any labor law. Hence
this is basic need to collective struggle against injustice, no matter we
are working inside home or out side.
Gulzar Ahmed Choudahry, Fazal Wahid and Nasir Choudhary also addressed
the mass rally and condemned the government policies like current President
Ordinance in which declaring the fundamental right of strike for exercise
of right collective bargaining as an act of terrorism under promulgated
anti-terrorism act and closure of 6000 industrial units and continuous
price hike. They described that rich are becoming richer and poor becoming
poorer in the phase of globalization of economy, free trade and rapid
technological changes.
They also criticized plundering of national wealth trough taking RS. 314
billion loans taken by elite of the country from the nationalized Bank,
mortgaging the national economy to the hands of IMF and World Bank and
continuous prevalence of evil of feudalism and exploitation of Child Labor
and discrimination against women in the society. It called upon the
government to remove anti workers measures and introduce radical economic
and social reforms in the society, otherwise bloody revolution will break
down the exploited system.
Later on, the participants burnt the effigy of unemployment, high cost of
living, restrictions imposed on trade union rights, anti people, IMF and
World Bank policies impel in the country resulting down sizing, high tariff
and privatization.
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ACTION !
Action is designed for workplace notice boards.Please circulate this news sheet widely
AP WSL : 14 N, Industrial Area, Gulberg, Lahore 54660, Pakistan
Tel: 92-42-5715 252 Fax: 92-42-5715 252 Email: rjapwsl@nexlinx.net.pk
Action is designed for workplace notice boards. Please circulate this news sheet widely.
Address: APWSL-Pakistan, 14 N, Industrial Area, Gulberg, Lahore 54660. Pakistan Tel / Fax: 92-42-5715252 Email: rjapwsl@brain.net.pk