Autoparts workers protest for bigger bonus and win

Workers of Yarnnapan Public Co, Ltd block Kingkaew road in Samut Prakarn province on Friday to demand for more bonus.//Supakrit Kumkhan

They went on strike and blocked traffic out of King Kaew Road onto Bang NaTrad Road in the morning. It was only after their employer, autoparts manufacturer Yarnapund, agreed to increase the bonus that they ended the blockade and dispersed.

"Through negotiations, the employer has promised to award a bonus of two months' salary and not to punish anyone involved in the strike," Bang Phli district chief Nipon Lertsrisuwattana announced yesterday evening.

Nipon stepped in because of the road blockade.

Initially, autoparts manufacturer Yarnapund planned to pay a Bt5,000 bonus but its workers wanted one equivalent to four months' salary.

"We also want a pay raise," strikeleader Suchat Kasemsas said during the strike.

Over 100 policemen showed up to ensure the situation remained under control. Several protesters were clearly drunk. Aside from Nipon, senior police officers were also present when company executives met protest leaders.

At noon the company offered to pay a bonus of 1.5 months' salary, but the protesters insisted on at least three months.

"My wife's just lost her job, and we have two children to support. I've had to borrow money from loan sharks. I need the bonus to repay them," a 41yearold worker said. After working for the company for two decades, his salary is Bt9,900.

As the day wore on, the negotiation finally came up with an agreement satisfactory to both sides.

The workers did not get all their demands, though. There was no agreement on demands for a pay raise, the removal of three company executives, the establishment of a company labour union or permanentemployee status for all workers with over one year of service.

In a related development, Labour Ministry permanent secretary Somchai Chumrat is to convene a meeting on Monday on how to deal with looming unemployment. Representatives from the Foreign Trade Department, Internal Trade Department and Industrial Works Department will attend.

Pannapong Itattanon, secretary general of the Employers' Confederation of Thai Trade and Industry, urged the Labour Ministry to help workers facing layoff.

On Monday official records showed 546 enterprises had gone out of business with 45,707 workers losing their jobs this year.

Last year 153 firms had to shut down.