Foreign workers suspected of torching Lop Buri factory: Pay row

[OzMick]

Being a suspicious type person ,,,, I rather wonder WHY the workers haven't been paid for two months?

Could it be ... just floating a possibility .... that the OWNERS are in financial trouble and the factory that was just burned down had insurance on it payable to those owners.

But like I said I'm just a suspicious person.

Why it would have got to a situation that the labour wouldn't be paid, god knows. Saha is a massive company, and it can't be the case that the labour weren't being paid at one factory because one factory has financial difficulties.

Although here is a beauty of a story

http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=1000:50002:0::NO:50002:P50002_COMPLAINT_TEXT_ID:2900740

The complaint related to the killing of two trade union leaders of the Saha Farm Labour Union allegedly by assassins hired for that purpose by the management of the Saha Farm Company Limited. The Saha Farm Company is a chicken farm raising poultry for export. Because of the poor working and living conditions, its workers had organised themselves into a union and joined the National Congress of Thai Labour, which is affiliated to the WCL. The union had allegedly submitted a list of grievances to the company but the management refused to negotiate. According to the complainant, the union's action displeased the owner of the company who set out to stifle the labour movement at the outset.

If murders need a cover-up, they have the right man for the Minister's job. Eminently suitable.

Edited July 8, 2013 by OzMick

[orchidlady]

Why hasn't the new minister of labor come out with his sixth sense of knowing all about what has happened in situations under his command, even before an investigation has been completed? Oh, maybe he is still in Hong Kong...guess we'll have to wait a while longer.

[LuckyLew]

Now we know why the chicken crossed the street

To get away from the fire

[Payboy]

Lop Buri-based sources said this Saha Farms plant had faced liquidity problems and was going to close down, without paying the back wages to more than 5,000 employees, mainly Myanmar workers and a sprinkling of Cambodians.

But.....

Saha Farms plans expansion to meet soaring demand for Thai chicken

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Saha-Farms-plans-expansion-to-meet-soaring-demand--30157850.html

[sprq]

One thing's for sure: there is a little less industrial chicken around to pollute people's bodies.

[allan michaud]

Being a suspicious type person ,,,, I rather wonder WHY the workers haven't been paid for two months?

Could it be ... just floating a possibility .... that the OWNERS are in financial trouble and the factory that was just burned down had insurance on it payable to those owners.

But like I said I'm just a suspicious person.

Why it would have got to a situation that the labour wouldn't be paid, god knows. Saha is a massive company, and it can't be the case that the labour weren't being paid at one factory because one factory has financial difficulties.

Although here is a beauty of a story

http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=1000:50002:0::NO:50002:P50002_COMPLAINT_TEXT_ID:2900740

The complaint related to the killing of two trade union leaders of the Saha Farm Labour Union allegedly by assassins hired for that purpose by the management of the Saha Farm Company Limited. The Saha Farm Company is a chicken farm raising poultry for export. Because of the poor working and living conditions, its workers had organised themselves into a union and joined the National Congress of Thai Labour, which is affiliated to the WCL. The union had allegedly submitted a list of grievances to the company but the management refused to negotiate. According to the complainant, the union's action displeased the owner of the company who set out to stifle the labour movement at the outset.

The significant bit to me was

"In a later communication, the Government explained that on 13 December 1982, the Thai Criminal Court passed the death sentence on the two accused, Prasutr Pianetre and Payao Ketkhuang, who were found guilty of murder. The court found that the accused had received payment from the owners of the Saha Farm Company Limited to murder Samrong Napashote and Son Kitjawart, as they were displeased with the victims' leading role in the establishment of a trade union so as to demand from the company an increase in wages to meet higher costs of living, as well as other improvements in the welfare of the workers."

Of course no one from Saha were ever prosecuted. No surprise there then.

OK it's a long time ago but I suspect the same family is running the show so the attitudes today are quite likely to be similarly ignorant. Exploiting people seems to be the national past time.

My personal take on the story is it's an insurance job, if, as is suggested in the article, Saha were in trouble financially.

Edited July 8, 2013 by allan michaud

[Arkady]

Maybe this is a warning to the shonky operators , pay the right amount or we will burn you out , two things happen with this idea, one, they don't have a job after torching the operation , the shonky's will stop employing foreign labour , then they have to hire local labour , then they will have to pay proper wages, life sucks shonky's.

Saha Farms is a very large private agribusiness concern in Thailand, not just a local fly by night business in Lopburi. See http://www.sahafarms.com/main.php. If they were really going to close the operation down, this seems a pretty good financial solution for the owners. They can claim insurance for a useless factory they won't rebuild and pay off the police and immigration off to deport the trouble making alien labourers without paying their back wages. Seems like the slaves have come up with a neat solution for the owners.

[drdoom6996]

Specials this week, on BBQ/flame-grilled chicken !

Is that funny?

NO!

[jpduggan]

Just wondering if running a chicken processing plant is one of the occupations reserved for Thais?

[pisico]

Saha Farms plant had faced liquidity problems...

So why arent the police investigating the owner, if the owner had torched the place...nice little pay out on the insurance and blame the those pesky foreigners for doing it...sorted

Because even if what you say is true, the corruption in Thailand would never allow for it. The owner has power and money its better to hang a few foreigners with no influence (Birma ect).

Many posters still don't understand that corruption is so bad that innocents get convicted often en guilty walk free. They prefer never to take off their rose tinted glasses and pay of the police and comment how good it is that the fines are so low and they can speed all they want not seeing its all connected and only makes corruption worse.

Corruption is an institutionalized industry in Thailand. Exists in government and the private sector. But, according to the numerous polls by ABAC and others, 65% of Thais are OK with it... if it will benefit them. So much for Buddhist probity. Luis Vuitton bags anyone?

[Thai at Heart]

Just wondering if running a chicken processing plant is one of the occupations reserved for Thais?

Pretty much everything in agriculture is limited to at best 51:49 joint venture. Foreign companies cannot enter the agriculture business directly.

[lostmebike]

Thailand - 'If in doubt, just blame the foreigners'

[SOTIRIOS]

Neither party has to worry about arguing over pay now

.......except it might be convenient to blame the workers......and receive insurance.....or damages......???

[joepattaya1961]

Specials this week, on BBQ/flame-grilled chicken ! ................

..........offered at the newly opened H*tl*r chicken-outlet in Bangkok.

[lee b]

If this was a fish processing plant, it would definatley sound A BIT FISHY TO ME !!!

[Dap]

Specials this week, on BBQ/flame-grilled chicken !

Is that funny?

I thought it was

[kenny1916]

Id be mad about not getting my wages for 2 months too !!

would they expect them to live on fresh air and sunshine

they live on little enough as it is .....

[belg]

somchai better start paying on time next time

[DGIE]

Pity are the Myanmarese and Cambodians. 300/day wage? How can they live for that especially if

they have families...

[spidermike007]

Saha Farms plant had faced liquidity problems...

So why arent the police investigating the owner, if the owner had torched the place...nice little pay out on the insurance and blame the those pesky foreigners for doing it...sorted

This was my first cynical thought too on reading the article.

Such an easy thing to do to blame it on poor, underpaid and maybe very hungry workers. Not hard to plan something like this knowing you are going under anyway. Then blame the natives.

Saha Farms is an enormous company and could have paid the wages with one days income. No matter that this particular facility was having problems. The company is responsible. So, when the labor ministry, the law enforcement officials, and the govt. ignores their responsibilities, and mistreats the foreign workers, these poor, underprivileged folks took action, and did something about it. Am I supposed to feel sorry for this heinous company? Will anyone?

Mike Macarelli

Chaiyaphum, Thailand

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Thai at Heart]

Front page on the other paper, is that Saha Farms genuinely had a cash crunch. Wow. That isn't good news at all.

[Ricardo]

Front page on the other paper, is that Saha Farms genuinely had a cash crunch. Wow. That isn't good news at all.

Has someone clucked-up their cashflow forecasts ?

Thigh-ned too many chicks cheques ?

Time to make a clean breast of things !