A Report
of B.K. Fashion Factory
and Fired Workers on September
9, 2003
Appendix (2) - Workers Protest for better Wages on 9th
May – 15th May,2002
9.5.2002
This morning over 120 active workers from the knitting section started
to protest for higher wages in the factory and all the workers from other
sections supported the protest. In fact, most workers did not get fair
wages this month because there were fewer orders at the factory. Workers
have to work at least 11 hours a day regularly but they earn about 1000
Baht as the factory doesn’t have overtime.
Some workers from the knitting section came early to the work place
to earn some more money. They even worked harder than the other workers,
but they still earned the same as the other workers, about 1000 Baht.
The factory deducted 300 Baht a month from their wages for the work permit
fee.
The factory manager never says prior to the start of work what the payment
rate per a dozen pieces will be. The factory usually informs about the
payment rate when payday is near.
The workers demanded:
- that work not exceed 8 hours a day
- overtime fees for the afternoon shift beginning at 06:00pm
- to assign a holiday on Sunday
- to raise the salary of daily wage earners from 40 Baht and 45 Baht
to 50 Baht
- that enough water is provided
8 representatives from the workers negotiated with the boss of the factory
at 11:00am and 04:00pm three times. In the meeting the boss of the factory
accepted their demands.
10.5.2002
The factory gave the salaries to the workers because it was payday at
the factory.
11.5.2002
The boss of the factory had denied all demands of workers except he
would raise the salary of daily waged workers from 40 Baht and 45 Baht
to 50 Baht.
12.5.2002
The factory authority asked the workers to go to the workplace. But
the workers denied going to workplace and went on strike.
13.5.2002
The workers went to the workplace at 7:30am in the morning shift. At
about 10:00am polices raid and surrounded the workers from the knitting
section. The workers were amazed by the arrests. They now know that the
factory authority planned to arrest them cunningly. The police selected
and arrested 50 active workers including 6 female workers involved in
the strike and handed over all the workers to the immigration office.
The police explained to the workers that the factory did not want these
workers so he informed the police. At 04:00pm in the evening all arrested
workers were deported to the Burma border.
The remaining workers stopped working at the factory and demanded the
release of the arrested workers.
14.5.2002
A few workers went to workplace but most of workers still went on strike.
15.5.2002
Some workers went back to Burma but most of the workers started to work
in the morning.
Report of B.K. Fashion Factory and Fired Workers
on September 9, 2003
Appendix (1) - Interviews
Appendix (3) - Worse Working Situations of
B.K. Factory In December, 2002
Appendix (4) - Tak Province Industrial Council’s
Resolution
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