The Goodyear (Thailand) PCL was pressured
to reinstate the president of their trade union

The Goodyear (Thailand) PCL under the management of Mr. BK Han, as its director-general, dismissed the president of the company’s trade union Mr. Anan Phol-ung on the 7 th March, 2005 on charge of causing damages to the company. It was because Mr. Anan made a public announcement of the union criticizing the company’s management on the way they dealt with workers’ problems which occurred at the workplace. Moreover, Mr. Anan also encouraged 18 workers in the rubber storage department to sue the company for breaking the labour law by failing to provide a permanent employment contract to workers who had been working non-seasonal work for the company on a yearly contract for more than ten years. Such type of employment was unfair as those workers had for a long time been deprived of their due rights and benefits enjoyed by other permanent workers. The labour suit was filed on 15 th February 2005 and is still under the proceedings of the Labour Court.

Mr. Anan consequently launched campaigns among workers of Goodyear all over the world by writing to the International Chemical, Energy and Mining Workers’ Federation (ICEM) at its main office in Belgium. Mr. Fred Higgs, the General Secreatry of the ICEM gave the opinion that Mr. Anan’s actions were considered as the attempts to protect workers’ interests on behalf of the union, the dismissal of Mr. Anan was therefore a violation of workers’ union rights and destruction of a good labour relations system.

Mr. BK Han replied to the ICEM in his letter dated July 8 th, 2005 that the company had a good record of being granted a government award for having good labour relations, the dismissal of Mr. Anan was justified by the Thai labour law and the final judgement of the labour court was to be awaited. Mr. Anan responded to that by writing an open letter to the Goodyear (Thailand) PCL, that just getting once an award did not mean that the company had persistently practised good labour relations, especially when the company ceased to respect the workers’ rights of getting protected and the workers’ right of association. As the president of the Goodyear Workers’ Union, Mr. Anan performed his duty to defend the rights and benefits of the union’s members. His actions were different from some of the former workers’ leaders who had very close relations to the company’s management. During the pending of the Labour Court’s final judgement, Mr. Anan was not assigned to work in the company, hence, he was consequently prevented from performing his duty as the president of the union.

Several thousand copies of Mr. Anan’s letter were printed and distributed among workers of the Goodyear companies all over the world. Various Goodyear workers’ unions sent Mr. Anan letters of encouragement supporting the course of his struggle for reinstatement.

Finally, the company’ s management by Mr. BK Han issued an official letter to the ICEM confirming the company’s decision to reinstate Mr.Anan Phol-ung on the condition that Mr. Anan would express his regret in writing about what had happened. Both sides agreed to compromise in that way before the final judgement of the Labour Court is due on 23 rd September, 2005.

The Goodyear (Thailand ) Public Co, Ltd is one of the three leading manufacturers of rubber tire for cars and airplanes. It was established on 25 th July 1968 with a registered capital of 60 million baht. The company has been striving for high quality products and supplying consumers at all levels domestically and internationally.

Customers both inside the country and abroad have confidence in the company’s products. Currently almost all national airlines in Asia and the Pacific use the company’ s rubber tires for their airplane wheels.

In 1970, the company was granted a BOI promotion cerificate. It was consequently exempt from the corperate income tax for the production of rubber tires for airplane wheels for a period of 15 years. On 30 th June 1978 the company resolved to be listed at the Stock Exchange of Thailand. At the extraordinary meeting of the company’s shareholders no. 2/2533 on 28 th March 1990, it was decided to increase the company’s registered capital from 60 to 74 million baht. On 20 th April 1994 the company was registered as a public limited company in accordance with the Royal Decree on Public Limited Company 1990.

The reinstatement of Mr. Anan is a victory primarily achieved by the support of ICEM and solidarity of all Goodyear workers worldwide. Industrial conflicts occurred not only at Goodyear (Thailand), but the Goodyear companies in many other countries are currently also in labour disputes. For example, the Labour Resource Center in Malaysia has documented and reported on the layoff of core union leaders of Goodyear (Malaysia) company. Broadly based public campaigns were also made pressuring the company to respect the trade union’s rights.

Translated by Usa Tantiwechakul

Reported by

Siam News Agency Online   15.9.05

workers-voice.org .