KFC Sack Three Managers Thailand for Wanting Better Conditions and Pay.

I was just reading a typical Thai newspaper article. It involves a company shafting its employees and just sacking them and thinking they can get away with it as it is Thailand.

Yum Restaurant International Thailand (YRIT) operates all of Thailand’s KFC outlets. They decided to sack three enterprising managers as they were not being Thai. What do I mean?

The three managers wanted better working conditions and pay for staff. The three managers were trying to set up a labour union and obviously when the YRIT found out sacked them immediately.

They were offered no reason for their dismissal. No warnings or meeting just instant dismissal.

Now a YRIT spokesperson has said,

“all three employees violated the company's work policies and code of conduct by claiming to be representatives from the company's welfare committee as well as misusing the company's internet account to spread false information to other employees.”

I hope they have plenty of evidence! No meetings or arbitration offered just sacked.

Thailand does have dismissal laws much like western countries, they also have decent labour laws as well but they don’t seem to be enforced all that well.

The Labour Relations Committee vice-chairman has gone into bat for these three managers calling for their reinstatement.

I hope they do win, the small people beating the big corporation. I hope there are follow ups in the newspapers.

I remember talking to Thai teachers at my old school once about unions, they said they have unions but none of the teachers I knew were members.

The Thai teachers at times are virtually slaves to the school, work weekends all the time and not paid overtime, go here and there, do this and that but never reimbursed for their extra time.

They used to complain, to each other but never the hierarchy of the school. Never go to the head of the department and offer their opinion. They just do their job looking miserable.

I was talking to a Thai teacher and asked why the teachers at the school didn’t get together and form a union as such. Have representatives who can meet with the chain of command and offer suggestions, bring up problems, negotiate fair working hours and rates of overtime pay.

He laughed and told me that if anyone did this they would find themselves unemployed for sure, out of a job before they knew it.

He is right as the school and for all its so called Catholic ways is ruthless. Here is an example.

Teachers who come to Assumption, especially younger teachers just out of university use the school as a learning platform. They make their meagre wage per month but most are just biding time to get a job in a government school.

Once you pass the government school tests and are placed into a school, you are set for life. Pretty much what people used to say about a council job back home in Australia. You have the job till you retire or die.

The perks of government school life are much better than the private schools, so you cannot blame teachers for seeking this out.

At Assumption if a teacher was found to have sat the tests to become a government school teacher, they were treated like a leper. They were scorned and badmouthed like they had done the most evil of things, dragged into meetings and read the riot acts.

One teacher this happened to had been working at the school for years, at least 6 years. She sat the exam under a false name. Someone must have seen her taking the test as it got back to the school.

A Spanish Inquisition started and she was berated, looked down upon like she was some lane dog. And to cut a long story short she was sacked. The worst part, she was an excellent teacher. Great to have in your classroom helping you.

Usually teachers when then leave, there will be a party but she didn’t get one, we even enquired and the response from the little ‘Pol Pots’ was virtually she didn’t deserve it as she had turned her back on the school.

I had been to parties for teachers who had only been at the school a year, were bloody useless but deemed party worthy because they towed the line and kissed ass.

If I am bullshitting there are teachers still at the school can say this is all crap, it is 100% true.

The lady who was sacked is now happily employed in a government school, she was applying for a transfer closer to Ubon Ratchathani but I do not know how she got on. The best thing is, she is so happy, loves her job and has told me that it was the best thing that happened to her.

I am a union man, through and through and believe in the fight for workers rights. The people who are against unions usually say they are no more than bullies and hold employers to ransom.

At times this is virtually the case, but it needs to happen if it benefits the Joe Blow. Keeping big corporations honest is paramount; the executives get millions of dollars in bonuses but the everyday worker gets the bare minimum and less if most companies have their way.

I can never see strong unions in Thailand as Thais are just too passive for me, if there were strong unions then working conditions, rates of pay across the country could improve. But getting millions of the average Thai to strike no matter what it takes, cripple the country until they get what they want just wouldn’t happen.

Scab labour as it is called would be lined up for positions thousands long and companies would not have a qualm in using it.

Anyway I am raving on. I just hope the three guys get their jobs back, create their union and then get better conditions for workers.

Dare to struggle, dare to win. If you don’t fight, you lose. Workers united will never be defeated.

It is as simple as that for me.

Brunty