Holding their heads high

Spiritual support from labour groups helps workers regain dignity

Story by PENCHAN CHAROENSUTHIPAN

Garment workers who lost their jobs after their former employer Bed & Bath
Prestige closed down, are busy working in a garment shop they helped set
up. — Photo courtesy of the THAI LABOUR CAMPAIGN


Sunee Namso was jobless and without money after Bed & Bath Prestige, a
garment factory, closed down and its owner fled to the United States.
However, she told herself she must not lose heart. She now has a clothing
business of her own under the DR brand. "DR stands for 'dignity returns',"
she said with pride.

Sunee and her co-workers had camped out at the Labour Ministry so that the
authorities could witness their plight, but it was spiritual support from
visiting labour organisations and fellow labourers that helped her get
over the ordeal.

Sunee and her 39 friends, calling themselves the "reconstruction group",
managed to borrow five sewing machines to make women's dresses.

Sales were not huge but they did bring in some money.

"We are proud and happy that we can stand on our own two feet. We are now
our own masters," she said.

Sunee and her group moved out of the ministry and turned a house on
Ekachai road in Bangkok's Bang Khun Thian suburb into a factory, funded by
a 700,000-baht investment loan from the Government Savings Bank, repayable
over two years.

There was no miracle. Their fledgling business did not take off. But Sunee
said that life on the rough road had made her and her friends stronger and
taught them a lot of valuable lessons.

"We have already repaid our debts," Sunee said proudly.

She said her factory took whatever orders to keep business alive,
including sub-contract deals that paid as low as 16 baht apiece.

Income was split equally and on many occasions each member of the factory
had to go home with only 600-700 baht a month.

Sunee said the state should offer social benefits to people who lose their
jobs, and are no longer entitled to coverage under the Social Security
Fund.

They most needed welfare benefits for disability, death and old age, she
said.

Now that the loan has been repaid and business has begun to pick up, Sunee
said she plans to register her factory with the Industry Ministry next
year.

Part of the factory's monthly revenue would be donated to help support
labour workers made redundant unfairly.


with picture please visit:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/010505_News/01May2005_news04.php

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Thai Labour Campaign
P.O.Box 219
Ladprao Post Office
Bangkok 10310 THAILABOUR