• 
• 

Published on July 25, 2007

The group consisted of 50 former workers of Khonsong Chiwamuan, a unit of Advance Agro, along with 100 from Thai Summit, 50 from EFB Thailand and 20 from Wathai.

They claimed their employers terminated them unfairly and did not pay them as required by law.

Somboon Srikam-dokkae, president of the Work and Environment-Related Patients' Network, who accompanied the group, said 218 "Double A" workers were laid off on June 30 because their employer wanted to move production elsewhere.

The company had postponed paying compensation three times, she said.

Talks produced a settlement with compensation to be paid in four batches, she added.

The first is due on Friday to 137 workers, with the company claiming the rest wanted to continue working with them. This was not true as the rest of the workers also wanted to get paid off and no longer wanted to stay there, Somboon said.

The workers, fearing their employer might backtrack on the agreement, urged the department to investigate the situation.

"The 218 employees - truck drivers delivering paper supplies - should be compensated at Bt100,000 per person, totalling at least Bt20 million. We are afraid the employer might find excuses not to pay them, so we want all to watch the July 27 payment to see if it comes through," she said.

If it does not, the group will return to the department the next day, she said.

Workers of the three other companies also want the department to help negotiate with their employers to observe the labour law.

Anuchon Warinsathien, head of the department's labour dispute conciliation unit, said he would present the workers' cases to director-general Padungsak Thephasdin on a company-by-company basis.