The Labour Court in Samut Prakarn dismissed a case of unfair layoff filed by former Triumph workers against Body Fashion (Thailand) Co. The workers, however, will continue their fight, and sell their own ‘Try Arm’ underwear at their rallies, while two of their leaders are running a campaign in Europe to pressure Triumph headquarters.
According to Naewna newspaper, the provincial Labour Court in Samut Prakarn on 17 Dec dismissed the case which approximately 200 workers had filed against their former employer, saying the company had faced loss of revenue.
The workers said they would continue their campaign against unfair layoff by selling their own Try Arm products in front of major shopping malls which sell Triumph products.
‘We’re now desperate, and don’t know how to fight on. We will go round selling our own products so the public can see the huge difference between costs and the prices set by the company. We sell our products at 49 and 59 baht a piece,’ said Bunrod Saiwong, one of their leaders.
On 18 Dec in Bangkok, about 30 workers gathered in front of the Phetchaburi Rd offices of Triumph International (Thailand) Co, the parent company of Body Fashion Co, to demand that the conglomerate abide by the OECD Code of Conduct for transnationals and hold consultations with employees about policies affecting them. They also urged the Swiss headquarters to negotiate with their two representatives, Thanyathorn KhiriThawornphat and Jitra Kotchadet, who have travelled to several European countries in their campaign since 29 Nov, since executives in Thailand had always claimed that they had no decision-making power regarding the layoff.
The workers also brought Try Arm products to sell to passers-by in the area. At 13.30, they went back to their rally site at the Ministry of Labour.
A De Telegraaf report on the protest by representatives of laid-off Thai and Philippine Triumph workers in front of a Triumph outlet in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, can be seenhere.
