Jury Chai – About 300 workers from the Watana Footwear Factory in Phayar Thone Su village, Sangkhlaburi district, Thailand, began protesting this morning about not receiving a wage increase from their employer, said workers.
“Other shoe factories have given wage increases, but not our factory. If our wages are not increased, we will resign from this job and work at other factories. The boss here doesn’t give pure water at the workplace, but only water with limestone,” said a protesting worker.
Workers from Watana Footwear Factory are protesting because the owners have not acceded to the workers’ requests for a daily wage increase of 15 baht, recognition of international labour standards of 8-hour working days, and the provision of pure drinking water for workers, said the protesting worker.
Most workers from Watana Footwear Factory have stopped working during the protest. The factory will be closed for three days beginning today, said the worker. The owner has told workers that he will pay the current wage to the workers who are willing to continue working at the factory. The shoes from Watana are sold in Thailand and exported to China.
The workers plan to continue the work stoppage until the owner agrees to increase the daily wage. Workers will not register for work, but will maintain a presence in front of the factory’s office.
About 2,000 workers from Basani Enterprise Co., Ltd. and other three factories in Sangkhlaburi demanded an increase to their daily wages on 7 July. The owner of Basani agreed to a 15-baht-per-day increase after a negotiator helped coordinate between the workers and the owner after the protest began.
Ko Aung Myint Soe, a leader of workers at Basani, said the workers are again working regularly at the factory after the owner reached a compromise with the workers on Saturday.
