120 Burmese Migrant Workers Go Unpaid and Employer Runs Away

Date: August 18, 2003

The employer from the JP Knitting Factory in Mae Sot, Tak, Thailand, did not pay the salaries of 120 workers and called police wearing civilian clothes to come and threaten the workers on 14 August 2003. The village headman sealed the factory and asked the owner to pay for the workers' salaries.

Background

A few Thai men and one Lao-Chinese man started running the JP Knitting Factory in Mae Sot in June 2002. The Lao-Chinese man held most of the responsibility for the factory which is situated in Gate 13, Ta-ma-eh village, Mae Sot near the Moei River. There are an estimated 120 (F-80, M-40) Burmese migrant workers who have been working in this factory since it was opened. The factory management promised the workers that they would receive a work-permit but they never did. In July 2002, the Thai police raided the factory and arrested both the workers and the manager. The manager was able to get bailed out of jail and quit his job. 20 workers were sentenced to 6 months in prison for working illegally in Thailand. The factory owner has managed to continue running the factory with the remaining workers until this month. Whenever there are crackdowns on illegal workers in Mae Sot, the workers from JP Knitting Factory have to hide in the forest near the factory in the daytime and work at nighttime.

The factory management pays the workers' salaries on the 10th of every month.

Current Situation

• On 9 July 2003, the workers asked to register for work-permits for next year because the employer promised them that he would do so. The registration process begins every September and the employer did not do it the previous year even though he had promised.

• On 10 August 2003, the workers asked for their salaries and the factory management told them that they would receive their salaries the next day. Whenever the workers ask for their salary, the management always replies that they will receive it the next day. The following day, the workers were not given their money.

• On 13 August 2003, the factory manager drove the workers out saying that the police would raid the factory that day. As a result, the workers had to leave the factory and hide in the forest nearby.

• On 14 August 2003, the workers came back the factory but the factory management did not allow them to enter the factory. When the workers asked for their salaries, the manager told them to stay away from the factory and they would receive their pay the next day.

• On 15 August 2003, the employer came along with the police wearing civilian clothes and paid each worker 300 baht. Then he told the workers that he would pay the rest of their salaries on 20 August. He also told them that the factory would be closed until that time. At the same time, he was trying to move his machines and orders of clothing to another factory owned by one of his partners. The workers suspected that he was trying to runaway and informed the village headman and landlord so they would stop the owner. If the factory owner left, he would break his contract with the landlord under which he must pay 40,000 baht per month for two years. While the factory owner was giving each worker 300 baht, the media arrived and tried to record a video of the situation. When the owner saw the media, he suddenly got in his car and drove away. He was not finished distributing the 300 baht for each worker and left the remaining money on a table for his factory supervisor to give out. Not all of the workers received 300 baht. Some were only given 100 or 50 baht because there was not enough money left.

At the time of this release, the factory owner had not come back yet. Currently, the workers are hiding and waiting for the owner's return to get their salary. Moreover, they cannot go home or anywhere due to their lack of money.

More information: Moe Swe
Tel: 09 565 9899
E.mail: newdawn@cscoms.com
moeswe88@yahoo.com