3 replies to this topic

[WannaGo]

This caught my eye because I had no idea there was organized labor in Asia. I always thought of it as a strictly Western institution (and a dying one at that). We always hear so much about little Asian kids working for a nickel a day. It's good to know that workers there are organizing and looking out for themselves. Unfortunately, the movement doesn't seem to have really caught on, even though it's been going since the early '70s. According to the State Department:

"...less than 2% of the work force is unionized. In 2000, an amended State Enterprise Labor Relations Act (SELRA) was passed, giving public sector employees similar rights to those of private sector workers, including the right to unionize. In 2009, efforts to streamline the State Railway authority met resistance from the powerful railways union, including a short strike which halted trains nationwide, showing that organized labor still has some potential political clout."



GM says strike at Thai assembly plant settled after agreement with union

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (CP) – 2 hours ago

BANGKOK, Thailand — The Thai subsidiary of General Motors says it has reached an agreement with striking workers at its assembly plant that will allow production to resume Thursday.

Its factory in the eastern seaboard province of Rayong, which makes one-ton pickup trucks and passenger cars, had halted production on Oct. 5 when several hundred of its 1,700 workers began striking for higher pay and better conditions.

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[Wino]

I did not realize there was any union activity in Thailand. Good for the GM workers. I hope they receive a decent rate of pay for a decent day's work.

[lvdkeyes]

Does anyone know what their salaries were before the strike and what they are now?

[Wino]

lvdkeyes, on 15 October 2009 - 01:17 AM, said:

Does anyone know what their salaries were before the strike and what they are now?

All the article said about the agreement was "that is mutually beneficial with the shared objective of ensuring continued growth and sustainability of GM and the Chevrolet brand in Thailand and around the region." "The agreement accords employees an opportunity to benefit directly from that success," it said, providing no further details.
I am not sure what "benefit directly from that success" might mean. Maybe pay is tied to productivity? I have no idea.