Workers Denounce Contract Labour System
and Demand a Stop to it

More than 1,000 workers held a protest rally last November 20,2005 in front of the Government House to denounce the contract labour system and to demand an amendment to the New Labor Protection Act (B.E.2541) of 1998, which encourages its existence.

The rally was organized and spearheaded by the Alliance of Democratic Trade Unions (ADTU) and the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee. It was participated by several unions mostly from the eastern part of Bangkok.

In the said rally, the speakers alternately lambasted Prime Minister Taksin for his indifference to protect the employment security of the Thai workers. One of the speakers also demanded the resignation of Mr. Taksin, which the rally participants received with a loud applause.

“Contract labor system is slavery in modern history,” according to ADTU’s statement. Under this system the, workers are totally at the mercy of the employer on when and how to be dismissed without any recourse for justice. Besides, the system completely denies the workers of his right for a decent job and living.

The New Labor Protection Act of 1998 has encouraged the assailed contract labor system. Under the Act, it wrongly define the contractor or the subcontractor, whose business is merely to supply workers for production or act as an agent of a certain company in hiring workers, as employer of the workers they supplied.

This deceptive definition of employer gave rise to a mass of contractual workers that have no direct employer-employee relations to the actual company they are working. The workers are one that the definition of employer must be corrected by amending the New Labor Protection Act of 1998 in order to protect their rights and hopefully give an end to the contract labour system.

Prior to the protest rally, a forum with the theme of “An unjust Labour Contract: Stop Contract Labour System and Poverty” was held at the Kurusapa Auditorium sponsored by the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee. The workers gave testimonies to their hapless conditions under the contract labour system before Mr. Sathaporn Charupa of the Labour Protection and Welfare Department, but no solutions to their problems were offered. The presence of Mr. Charupa only added insult to their injury.

Mr. Charupa admitted that there are already more than 300 agencies operating in the country employing more than 100,000 workers in the industrial zones and epz . However, the workers believed that the figures are conservative given the extensive implementation of the contract labour system.

The workers ended their protest by a symbolic burning of the Labour Law and by posting a copy of the petition for Mr. Taksin urging him to abolish the contract labour system at the gate of the Government House.

It was a peaceful rally. The workers promised to launch more protest actions in the coming days with bigger participations from the workers until the government of Mr. Taksin heeds their demands and grievances.

Provided by

Center for Labour Information Service and Training

166/23 Nattagan 3 Paholyothin 52 Klongtanon Saimai Bangkok 102200

Thailand

Tel/Fax 02-9727035 01-8229477

Email : clist@loxinfo.co.th

Website : www.workers-voice.org