Light House Workers Still Locked-out!
Posted September 6, 2002
In this Alert:
1. 73 Workers Still Locked Out at Light House in Thailand.
2. Take Action Now – send an automatic fax to
Samsonite and other luggage companies that are supplied by Light House.
3. Testimony of one Locked-out Worker.
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73 WORKERS STILL LOCKED OUT AT LIGHT HOUSE
Labor rights violations continue at the Light House factory in Thailand,
which produces some of the luggage sold by U.S. companies such as Samsonite,
Atlantic, and Ricardo of Beverly Hills. 73 workers remain locked out
of the factory and continue to demonstrate outside its gates.
On July 16, over 200 protesting workers from the Light House Labour
Union presented a letter written in their own blood to the Thai parliament
in protest of events at the Light House plant. Their letter stated that,
“We, Light House workers, sacrificed our blood to write this letter,
revealing our genuine will and our suffering from savage exploitation.”
The workers were driven to these desperate tactics by events which
began in October 2001 with the dismissal of 600 workers (out of a total
workforce of 1400), and the slashing of benefits and wages for the remaining
workforce -- wages for the remaining workers were cut by 25% to $3.60
per day. Then, in June 2002, the company fired all 20 elected union
representatives at the plant. When 849 workers held a work stoppage
to protest, all were immediately fired.
On July 23 -- in a huge step toward a resolution of the situation --
Light House management, Thai government officials and Light House union
leaders reached an agreement that would provide for the reinstatement
of all dismissed workers who were willing to continue working with the
company. As a result, 57 workers, including 20 union leaders, were reinstated
to their jobs.
But the struggle is not over yet! Seventy-three (73) workers, all of
whom are women and members of the Light House union, still have not
been reinstated to their jobs. And Light House has begun to hire new
workers to the plant – filling jobs that belong to the 73 workers
who maintain a picket line outside the factory.
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TAKE ACTION NOW!
It’s easy! Just click on the link below and fill out the information
on the form that appears. Add a subject line to the letter in the space
provided, and your fax will automatically be sent to the three main
retailers of luggage produced at Light House: Samsonite, Atlantic, and
Ricardo of Beverly Hills.
Tell these companies to: Reinstate the 73 locked out workers!
Go to: <http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/samsonite>
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TESTIMONY OF ONE LOCKED-OUT WORKER
The following is a testimony of Wanida Keawkum, who is one of the 73
workers currently locked-out at the Light House plant. She is 22 years
old and has worked at Light House for five years.
This information, along with more background on the campaign and photographs
of the 73 workers can be found on the website of the Thai Labour Campaign:
www.thailabour.org.
August 2, 2002
Q: Tell me about your family and your employment history.
I am Wanida Keawkum, 22 and am originally from Chachengsao province.
My parents are farmers. I could not continue my education because my
mother got sick a serious stomach ailment, sometimes she would vomit
blood. Each time she required treatment my family would have to pay
more than 10,000 baht. I knew that my family could not afford a higher
education for me, I therefore decided to start working after I finished
grade 9. Light House is my first and only workplace. I have been there
for 5 years now. My position was in the quality control section. Initially
I had no idea what a labour union was, but I still was inclined to become
a member.
Q: What were your wages received before you were sacked [fired]?
A: I received 170 baht/day plus 10 baht as a position benefit. Every
month I have to give my mother 2000 baht.
Q: In one day how many suitcases could be produced in the factory?
A: Previously Light House Company owned 3 factories. Factory No.2 could
produce about 1500-1600 suitcases. But Samsonite suitcases were very
delicate and tough. They were produced in the factory No. 1 and No.3
and probably about 170 of these suitcases were produced in one day.
Q: Could you tell about the working environment?
A: Inside the factory it was very hot. When we worked we had to cover
our heads with wet cloths. There were some of us who were exposed to
excessive toxic chemical and had to be hospitalized and some even died
from this. The air in the production line was contaminated with hazardous
chemical fumes emitted when welding suitcases with irons. The air was
also full of disgusting smells of glue and tinner. There was thick smoke,
emitted when irons puncture into suitcases which could not be released
from the factory because of a lack of sufficient evacuation fans. In
fact there are only 2 such fans in the factory. Unbelievably when we
had to use toilets the doors could not be locked and so we had to push
garbage cabins to close the doors. It was terrible but we had to be
patient; at least we still had jobs to maintain our life. If I do not
regain my job, I definitely will have to go to work in the subcontracting
system, which is very prevalent in this industrial zone.
Q: Why were you sacked [fired]?
A: The company put pressure on us in every way possible. But we could
no longer bear it when our 20 union leaders were dismissed. We therefore
decided to stop working and gathered in front of the company. The company
had reduced our overtime benefits from what we used to receive, 6 hours,
to 5 and 1/2 hours, motivating every worker to make the simultaneous
decision to stop working overtime all together. This was a chance for
the company to sack us and destroy the union knowing that we had not
yet had 120 working days and so despite working at Lighthouse for years
we were technically "probationary" employees!
Q: Could you describe the working condition before the dismissal?
A: There was never a reduction in the orders the company received despite
management claims. If we could produce 150 pieces per day, supervisors
would demand that the production target shift to 200 instead. And the
target was never decreased. If I could not work at the brutal speed
my supervisors commanded they would walk up to me and be verbally abusive
calling me a "buffalo" and stupid! After we signed the second
contract I was forced to work much harder than before, but was receiving
lower wages and fewer benefits.
Q: How was your life when you had to do overtime for many days?
A: To be able to complete days of working overtime, we had to dope up
our many cups of coffee, and Krathingdang, otherwise we would have a
stroke. Receiving very low wages forced us to work overtime. I could
not decline working overtime even for one day because it would mean
being faced with massive unfinished pieces of luggage the next shift
if I were absent. It not only affected myself, but my friends too, who
rely on the work being done from my end of the process. My life was
very hard and exhausting. I only ever finished working at 11pm, arrived
home by midnight and usually went to bed without having dinner. I would
then get up at 6 in the morning and rush to go to work again at 8 am.
Q: Have any representative from Samsonite visited the factory?
A: Those who are Thai always come. They told me "you have to be
careful. These products are expensive." The company would show
them only the finest pieces. They would not see the terrible working
conditions, and never knew the hard work we'd do because they preferred
to sit in air conditioned room only. The production line was the place
they did not want to see.
Q: Today, what does the labour union mean to you?
A: I think the labour union is very important for the workers. The union
represents all of us, demands better benefit for us and safeguards our
rights. If we did not have a union, the workers could gain only minimum
wages, the rights would be violated, and the company could practice
unchecked toward us - we could be sacked anytime they wished. My intention,
if I could return to my job, is to set up our union again. The labour
union is my only hope.
Q: After you were dismissed what did you do?
A: I come to the picket line in front of the factory everyday. Each
day I had to pay for transportation and food, so what little money I
have is almost gone.
Q: Why didn't you apply for a new job?
A: I want to set up a new labour union with my friends to improve the
working conditions and working environment, which we deserve, we workers
who built this company. I need a labour union safeguarding our rights
from exploitation and violation.
Q: Do you have any words for Samsonite Corp.?
A: We are workers who produced goods for your company. We would like
to tell you that every piece of work was made from our hard labour and
our intention is to make only those goods of the finest quality. But
what we have received instead is dismissal. We therefore would like
to ask your help to negotiate with Light House Company to reinstate
all of us back to work.
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