APSN | Strike leaders sacked as warning to others

Home > South-East Asia >> Burma

Strike leaders sacked as warning to others

Irrawaddy - July 27, 2011

Ban calls for early action on release of political prisoners - Irrawaddy. July 26, 2011
Naypyidaw demands Thai crackdown on Burmese dissidents - Irrawaddy. July 26, 2011
Myanmar's Suu Kyi leads memorial march for father - Agence France Presse. July 19, 2011
Burma's vice-president implicated in Kachin massacres - Irrawaddy. July 15, 2011
Obama urged to push for CoI on Burma war crimes - Irrawaddy. July 8, 2011

Lawi Weng – Around 40 Burmese workers who led strikes earlier this month to demand an extra 15 baht a day wages have been sacked from their factory near to the Thai-Burmese border in Three Pagodas Pass.

Wai Phyo, a Burmese worker for Watana Footwear Factory, said that his Thai bosses distributed a list of around 40 names to factories in the area to warn other people from employing the men.

Local sources say the workers were from Thai-owned Watana Footwear Company and Sakar War Company, both of which produces shoes and other related items.

Nai Seik Lyi, father of one of the workers, said, "My two children have had no job for two weeks already as they were leading the factory workers demanding extra pay."

He explained that his two children did not get any extra pay after the strike while other workers did.

"This is how they oppress workers who lead strikes around here," he added. "I told my children not to go to work unless they give them extra pay. We will just have to eat what we can find."

There are some 5,000 Burmese migrants in Three Pagodas Pass who work at around 30 factories. Local people say the 40 black-listed workers are unable to find alternative employment and have been forced to borrow money from friends to pay for food and accommodation.

"There are many people scattered along the street here who have no job. They have no money to pay rent for accommodation at the end of this month, and so they are depressed and get drunk from early in the morning in front of my house," said Tun Oo, a resident in Three Pagodas Pass.

"I feel sad to see them as they are helpless around here and many of them are just teenagers," he added.

Workers told The Irrawaddy that they want to find a labor organization which helps workers in Thailand in order to solve their problems, as nothing currently exists in Three Pagodas Pass.

"There is no organization here who can solve our problems. We want to find one as there are many cases of exploitation here," said Wai Phyo.

Burmese workers in Three Pagodas Pass earn between 65 and 115 baht for a 10-hour workday, depending on experience. This is much less than average for Thailand, causing many workers to feel exploited.

The workers went on strike to demand an extra 15 baht a day earlier this month as they claim the cost of essential commodities in Thailand had risen while their wages had remained the same.