Memorial Day: Some Thai activities

The period around 28 April: the ICFTU International Workers' Memorial Day is a packed one for Thai trade unionists and worker NGOs this year. It is the 10^th anniversary of the worst ‘accident’ in the history of the textile, clothing and footwear industries.

The 10^th anniversary of the Kader Toy Factory (10 May 1993) blaze in which 188 workers (174 women) died and 494 were injured (many now paralysed from injuries sustained when jumping from as high as four floors) has an active calendar of events. The first item in the calendar was a little publicised court case. In this case, which has taken almost ten years to bring on:

the Nakhon Pathom Court last month sentenced Viroj Yusak, a worker, to 10 years in jail for causing the fire by smoking. The court also fined Kader Industrial 520,000 baht. But the other defendants, including engineer Pisut Kanokakorn, managing director Pichet Laokasem and Si Ying Po, a company shareholder, were acquitted.[1]

Other items in the calendar have been planned by a group of trade unions and NGOs they include:

1. 2 March: A seminar to review the Taksin’s ( Prime Minister) government policy - organised by Local Thai groups.
2. 20 April:Seminar Looking back at Kader – what has Thai society learnt?
3. 25 April:  ILO/OHSEI World Day on Safety and Health at Work.
4. 27 April:  A workshop on Kader’s victims’ stories - organised by Friends of Women.
5. 4 May:  A seminar on the 10 years after Kader fire - organised by Arom Pongpangan Foundation.
6. 9 May:  Activity:  Improving occupational health and safety outcomes:  Prevention through organisation – organised by OHSEI (The Asian Workers’ Occupational Health, Safety and Environment Institute).
7. 10 May:  Whole day activities in front of Kader factory (religious ceremony, opening the memorial monument, demonstration, submit demands to the government, etc).
8. 11 May:  Seminar on Victim's Stories of work-related diseases and environment cases - organised by WEPT.

In addition workers will take up occupational health and safety during May Day and during the National Safety Week activities.

The following two articles have been prepared for a Thai publication.  The first outlines what has not been done to improve the situation in Thai workplaces.  The second takes a more hopeful view that, if trade unions use the legislation, it will be possible to make real improvements and demonstrate that trade unions are a positive tool for improving the lives of their members.

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[1]               Bangkok Post 21 April 2003.