Thread: Woman sacked for wearing T-shirt defiant of lèse majesté law

Labour woman leader sacked for wearing T-shirt defiant of lèse majesté law

Prachatai
31 July 2008
News


The leader of one of Thailand’s largest textile labour unions has been fired because she wore a campaign T-shirt challenging lèse majesté laws when she appeared on a TV programme.
Jitra Kotchadet, leader of the Triumph International (Thailand) Labor Union, wore a black campaign t-shirt with the slogan ‘Not Standing is No Crime, Different Thinking is No Crime’, while appearing as a guest on the NBT channel’s Krong Satanakarn talk-show programme to discuss the issue of abortion on April 24, 2008. The campaign was in support of Chotisak Onsoong who had been charged with lèse majesté for not standing for the royal anthem in a cinema.

After the broadcast, Jitra’s choice to wear the T-shirt was made a target of criticism by the Manager media group and the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) (see 130 activists and academics condemn Manager media group). She was summoned by her employer for an explanation, and she explained that she was wearing it during the airtime at that night, not working time, and her trade union was a separate legal entity that did not represent the Body Fashion (Thailand) Ltd. She insisted on her right to wear the shirt and support the cause. Her employer went silent. During that time, the trade union was preparing to make demands, which were quite strong, and they even planned to call a strike. However, things went smoothly, with the employer’s partial consent to the demands.

Jitra said that the employer however later lodged a complaint at the Labour Court seeking to dismiss her for deliberately damaging the company’s reputation by wearing the shirt. The company claimed that her support for Chotisak in his lèse majesté case created a public perception that the company also supported Chotisak’s action, hence the court case to clear its name.

Jitra said that on July 29 she was summoned to meet the employer and was told termination of her employment was allowed by the Court as of July 8, but the employer said that they instead chose to inform her on that day and the termination would take effect on the following day, July 30. According to the employer, a summons had been issued for her twice, but she had never seen them. She believed that her dismissal was part of an attempt to abolish the union, using the lèse majesté as a pretext.

As leader of the union, Jitra has always fought the employer for welfare improvements, including shuttle bus services, costs of workers’ uniforms, etc.

Jitra has been working for 16 years, and has been active in the labour movement. At her age and because of her past activities, she doubts she could find employment elsewhere.

Related news:
Chotisak no show at forum due to threats from Manager Radio
Thai Traditions: Lèse majesté in Thailand
Same Sky Books and Prachatai websites charged for allowing comments about Chotisak’s ‘not standing’
Academic Says Standing for Royal Anthem Copied British Practice, and was Dropped There Long Ago
Punishments for not standing during the royal anthem
News not fit for printing at the Nation: the incident of Chotisak Oonsoong
Thai Couple Not Standing for Royal Anthem in Cinema Hear Lèse Majesté Charges and Launch ‘Not Standing is No Crime’ Campaign
Activist denies charge of lèse majesté (Bangkok Post)
Sit down protest lands Thai in royal trouble (Reuters)
Interview with Man Facing Lèse Majesté Charges for Refusing to Stand for Royal Anthem in Cinema
Thai couple faces lèse majesté charges for not standing for royal anthem in cinema

Translated by Ponglert Pongwanan
Source: ปธ.สหภาพไทรอัมพ์ ถูกเลิกจ้าง นายจ้างอ้างใส่เสื้อ “ไม่ยืนฯ” ทำ บ.เสียชื่อ

Jitra sounds like an interesting woman.

Originally Posted by pai nai ma

Jitra sounds like an interesting woman.

Agree, she certainly has more balls than the average Thai......

^
Just the usual brace

Good luck to her. She'll need it.

Heresy is another word for freedom of thought. - Graham Greene

They can't keep them stupid, ignorant and poor forever.

Tick, tock.

as long as the education sytem of this country remains the same they are going to have a damn good try

Originally Posted by EmperorTud

They can't keep them stupid, ignorant and poor forever.

Tick, tock.

They can, and will.

'They' control education. 'They' control information.

What 'they' don't realise is that their pie is quite small and with an educated workforce and the accompanying entrepreneurship the pie will get bigger, as will their slice.

I guess that shows 'they' may be well educated but not very smart

Triumph International clarifies protest situation
05 August 2008

Following an earlier report on a protest by a group of former employees of Triumph International (Thailand) who tried to file a complaint against the employer to the Prime Minister at Government House, Body Fashion Thailand, a wholly owned subsidiary of Triumph International has issued the following statement to clarify the situation.

Body Fashion Thailand is experiencing an illegal strike by its workforce at its factory in Bangplee. The company will welcome back all employees who return to work and will not take any disciplinary action against those employees. The illegal strike is an effort to force the company to reinstate a former employee whose employment has been terminated legally following an order of the Thai Labor Court.

On April 24 a Body Fashion Thailand employee, who was introduced as the leader of the Triumph International Workers union, engaged in a highly public and controversial political activity on TV which erroneously linked Triumph to the personal political beliefs of the employee. Triumph believed that this action caused damage to its reputation, its business and its employees. Triumph naturally respects every employee’s right to freely express their personal views, but it must also protect the interests of all its employees when controversial views are associated with the company.

Under the Labour Relations Act, the company is permitted to take disciplinary action only with the express permission of the Thai Labor Court. The company therefore filed a case with the Labor Court to find out what its rights were in this matter. On July 21 the Thai Labor Court rendered its written decision and found that Body Fashion Thailand had indeed suffered damage to its reputation and its business. The court further directed that the company had the right to terminate the employee to protect itself from further damage. Body Fashion Thailand has acted in accordance with the court’s decision and in full compliance with Thai labor law.

Body Fashion Thailand was established in 1975 and today employs over 5,000 people.

thainews.prd.go.th

Originally Posted by Mid

Triumph naturally respects every employee’s right to freely express their personal views, but it must also protect the interests of all its employees when controversial views are associated with the company.

Well almost every employee. Except just this one!

Boycott Triumph and Fashion Thailand products.

If she was wearing one of those PAD T-shirts promoting the Chinese-Thai interests she would have got a promotion instead.

the women should burn their triumph bra's

Don't get rid of the swimsuits

I would like to take Jitra to dinner.

Triumph and LINDE Workers Declared Joint Struggle
Prachatai
06 August 2008

Picasa Web Albums - Prachatai - triumph-TIG

Today 1800 trade unionists marched to German embassy in Bangkok to submit an open letter to the Government of Germany. The letter titled 'Unfair Labour Practices of German MNCs in Thailand', addressed to Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, reveals the problems the unions have been facing with the two German multinational companies Triumph International and LINDE.

“While Germany is well known as a champion of democracy and a country which promotes peace and social dialogue; we regret to inform you that the labour practices of German MNCs particularly Triumph and LINDE are by far below the acceptable standards. Not only we are very disappointed with the broken promises by such large and rich multinational companies, both headquartered in Munich Germany, the unfair labour practices and non recognition of the workers’ trade union rights have caused great sufferings for thousands of workers in Thailand.

Therefore we appeal to you as the head of the state to call upon the CEOs of these two multinational companies to review their policies, correct the unfair labour practices and initiate a social dialogue based on democracy and transparency with the unions in Thailand.” it added.

prachatai.com

^ I wonder why they don't take on Thai companies
to change their industrial relations and labour situation . . . oh, I forgot . . . can't do that as they'd be forced on the spot and harassed by the cops.