Rights Activists Get Behind Compensation Campaign for Thai Garment Workers

On March 10th 2021 over one-thousand garment workers turned up for their regular shift at the Brilliant Alliance Thai Global Ltd factory to discover the doors were permanently closed. Many of these unionized workers had been with the factory for up to 15 years, producing lingerie for Victoria’s Secret, Torrid and Lane Bryant.

Later that month the Thai government ruled that the factory had violated Thai labour law, and ordered them to pay the equivalent of US$7.81 million in compensation to the workers within 30 days. Nine months later, Brilliant Alliance hasn’t paid a penny. 

“The company claimed they had negotiated with the union, but in fact the company unilaterally asked the union to accept installment payments lasting up to 10 years,”  Prasit Prasopsuk, president of the Confederation of Industrial Labour of Thailand told IndustriALL-union.

Annie Adviento, IndustriALL South East Asia regional secretary commented: “We call on the company to immediately pay the workers in full, according to the order of the provincial labour office. The Clover Group’s customer Victoria’s Secret must intervene in the dispute to protect workers’ rights.”

In response the workers have held regular demonstrations and now rights activists across the globe are supporting them by campaigning in Victoria’s Secret stores and raising public awareness. 

IndustriALL general secretary Valter Sanches said: It is unacceptable that the company unilaterally and unfairly laid off workers without the legal notice of period and legal payments. The behaviour of the management clearly violates the Labour Laws in the country as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as workers’ compensation is a human right. It is clear that this violation also contradicts your customers’ codes of conduct, such as Victoria’s Secret, Torrid and Ascena Group.”

To find out more and join the campaign visit: payyourworkers.org/bat

At Fashion-Enter Ltd our goal is to set a precedent for ethical and sustainable production in the UK. Unethical practices and poor worker rights have often gone hand-in-hand with the fashion and textile sector, however positive change is building momentum and running a compliant factory as a viable business is possible. Tap here to read all about our Level 1 Award in Labour Rights qualification to raise awareness of basic UK employment rights and help reduce the exploitation of staff around the UK.

Top photo: Brilliant Alliance workers protest in Thailand credit: Industriall