Fisher and Paykel workers in Thailand get union
August 8, 2010, 5:11 pm
Fisher and Paykel workers in Thailand will have more support after the Fisher and Paykel Labour Union of Thailand was launched this morning with the help of two of New Zealand's biggest unions.
The National Distribution Union (NDU) and the Engineering, Printing & Manufacturing Union, which represent Fisher and Paykel workers in New Zealand supported the union forming in Thailand.
NDU general secretary Robert Reid said he had been encouraging the formation of a union for the past three years since Fisher and Paykel announced that it was relocating whiteware and electronic production to Thailand.
The New Zealand unions were "very excited" about the Thailand union, Mr Reid said.
"We were very concerned when Fisher and Paykel decided to close its New Zealand manufacturing operations in 2007/2008 with over 1000 workers losing their jobs," he said.
"In the spirit of worker internationalism, we decided to make contact with workers and unions in Rayong to ensure that a labour union was established in the Fisher and Paykel Thailand plant."
It was important to form a union in Thailand as some companies that maintained a good relationship with the unions in their home country did not practice such good employment practices in other countries, Mr Reid said.
nz.news.yahoo.com