From Thai Labour Campaign, 12 July 2000

Garment factory British-Thai Synthetic Textiles employs 1,300 workers. It has operated in Thailand for more than ten years.

Pressure groups Thai Labour Campaign and Friends of Women Foundation have pointed out that since 1997, the company has used a loophole in Article 75 of the Labour Law. The regulation allowed the company to pay only 50 percent wages, and declare temporary closure, while subcontracting orders to other factories and sweatshops.

The company is also refusing to resolve hazardous working conditions.

Bosses fired union leader Mrs. Thitinan, a leading activist and union negotiator at the factory.

In a letter to Ralph Lauren Corporation, a transnational garment company, the Thai Labour Campaign urged the company to resolve labour disputes, abide by Thai labour law and Lauren's own code of conduct, improve environmental working conditions, and reinstate Mrs Thitinan to her former position.