18 clothing factory workers unfairly treated by their employer

The 18 Burmese employees of Phi Poon a Thai woman, who was the owner of the clothing factory in Waebon village, Maelamet township, complained about the rice they ate everyday citing that about the half of the rice were unpeeled. After their demand for better rice was denied, they tried to protest by not going to work on August 22, 2010. The employer thus kicked five of them out of their residence on August 23. PVA ordered its representative from the regional No.3 to sort it out after Thet Pai Soe, one of them reported PVA for the help.

PVA firstly provided a safe-heaven for five of them and the others. According to their complaint, they had to work everyday without a day off or sick leave with long extensive hours and more works on the Sundays. They hadn’t been paid for their daily wages at 60 to 70 baht/day for 50 days already.

PVA had selected two representatives to meet with the Sawadikan labor dispute settlement office that had the responsibility to settle such disputes. Finally, Phi Poon herself showed up to PVA office and signed an agreement to pay for the employees’ salaries, and promised to provide them the decent foods in the future.