When their employer tried to undermine the legal status of the bargaining team by including non-union workers from a sister factory in another province, the Rangsit Labour Unions Group (RLUG) committee members from a medical supply factory were determined to oppose this underhand tactic. The twelve women, six of whom were newly elected young women, worked on-site to build the required membership representation. Over the next 12 months the membership numbers went from 360 to 430 across both factories – enough members to be able to formally negotiate with their employer.
This year they negotiated successfully for daily wage workers to move onto monthly salaries, being paid for 30 days instead of 26 each month. Two victories for the women’s committee whose confidence has been built over three years of an RLUG partnership project with UnionAID.
When asked what was the most successful outcome from the partnership project, Gorn, one of the RLUG oranisers, said proudly of the union members: “They can do it themselves”.
