Lingerie Workers To Protest At Us Embassy

[stumonster]

Lingerie workers to protest at US embassy

From correspondents in Bangkok

October 07, 2006

ABOUT 1000 Thai lingerie workers plan to protest outside the US embassy over a labour dispute, defying the post-coup government's ban on staging rallies, a union member said today.

The laid-off workers from Gina Form Bra, which makes underwear for US apparel giants such as Victoria's Secret, Calvin Klein and Gap, will rally on Sunday to demand severance payments, the union member said.

Since a bloodless coup on September 19 that ousted Thaksin Shinawatra's Government, Thai military leaders have imposed martial law, scrapped planned elections, banned public gatherings and threatened action against media.

But the union member said they had no choice but to protest and insisted their planned gathering was not politically motivated.

"Of course, we are afraid of martial law, but we are really suffering," said the union member, who declined to be named.

"Our rally has nothing to do with politics and the new Government should understand our problems," he said, referring to the Government of Thailand's military-backed premier Surayud Chulanont.

Owned by Hong Kong's Clover Group, a leading maker of high-end lingerie, Gina Form Bra employs 1600 workers with women making up 95 per cent of its workforce.

Clover told Gina Form Bra earlier in the month that the company would shut down its operations in Thailand by the end of October and transfer its businesses to China.

article continued here

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story...87-1702,00.html

[johnh101]

Appropriately dressed we hope ?

[egeefay]

Why does everyone love bashing the US?

If the company that laid them off is a Hong Kong based company, shouldn't they be protesting in front of the Chinese Embassy.

Edited October 7, 2006 by egeefay

[backflip]

You should have read the entire article. The company is a Hong Kong based company.

[LaoPo]

You should have read the entire article. The company is a Hong Kong based company.

Yes, but HK doesn't have an Embassy....it's Chinese soil....so Chinese Embassy.

I don't think these protests will help, unfortunately, whether with the US Embassy or Chinese -.

It's a decision made by the owners to produce elsewhere where it's (much) cheaper.

These sad things (for the workers) happen all over the world, also in the US, Europe and elsewhere when production is closed and moved to the Far East.

LaoPo

[katnip]

Victoria's Secret, Calvin Klein and Gap,

Can someone post, authoratively, the names of the companies we should stop buying from ?

[ColPyat]

These sad things (for the workers) happen all over the world, also in the US, Europe and elsewhere when production is closed and moved to the Far East.

LaoPo[/color]

More details are needed to judge this accurately.

There are laws regarding severance pay. Were they paid, or not?

Did the company use the old trick in which the workers were hired only on a short time bases in order not to give them a proper legal contact, and rehired again and again?

A few years ago such a protest was actually solved succesfully for the workers in the "Bed and Bath" case (a Nike supplier), after they have protested for several months (or a year, i don't exactly remember), camping at the Ministry of Labour.

[Axel]

Victoria's Secret, Calvin Klein and Gap,

Can someone post, authoratively, the names of the companies we should stop buying from ?

Whereever you are or come from, buy only locally made products.

But, otoh, why stop buying from any company? They produce where it is most cost effective to compete with others on the markets. If production in Thailand become too expensive one has to move to stay in business.

"Clover told Gina Form Bra earlier in the month that the company would shut down its operations in Thailand by the end of October and transfer its businesses to China." This seems to me a clear descision to stay competitive. Apparently, nothing said, yet, whether severance-payment will be done or not.

[Donz]

who cares, post some pictures