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It was a simple request by the TESCO.LOTUS Distribution Center’s supervisor workers in Ayutthaya to the management of the TESCO.LOTUS Company to sit down and discuss about the workers request to recognize the setting up of the supervisors’ trade union in the company. A meeting on this agenda was fixed on 6Feb09. However as the management did not turn up, the Thailand National Council of Labour call on the management on 9Feb09 and arranged a meeting between the workers and management on 11Feb09. However by the next day 10Feb09, 5 trade union activist leaders were immediately dismissed.

The workers were asked to leave by the company by citing the reason that the company is being restructured and they are redundant workers. However the unholy haste to dismiss the workers just 24 hours prior to the Thailand National Council of Labour, management and workers’ meeting spoke volumes on the management intention.

The workers will fight for to go back to work as they had not done any wrong. It was a strong desire to discuss issues of common concern about the workers rights and benefits on a trade union platform to improve the industrial relations in the company that drove the workers to try to set up a union.

“Thailand has trade union laws and the multinational companies that operate in our country should provide a good environment for healthy working relationship between the employers and employees” stressed one of the dismissed workers. He mentioned that the desire to have fair working conditions should not be taken against them by rewarding them with retrenchment.

On 8^th March 2009, is the International Women’s Day and it will also be a day that thousands of trade unionists, NGOs and society will take to the streets in Bangkok to highlight women rights. This year for the TESCO.LOTUS workers, it will be a bit different – they will also be in the street demanding the right to form trade unions and to collective bargaining seeking the Minister of Labour via its letter of demand to respect workers rights as enshrined in the country’s law.

The writer asked the workers why they stand out to speak on behalf of the workers that are too afraid to voice their opinion, isn’t it too risky? Looking at me with sincerely and quiet determination they said “because we believe in working in a safe and conducive environment is every workers basic right” says TESCO.LOTUS Thailand workers, “and fear should not be a reason to shut up and pretend that everything is ok, when clearly it is not”.

We will continue to fight for the right to be heard and form trade unions.

"We care for you" is TESCO.LOTUS motto. Workers seeking employer to care for its workers.