Thai workers torch plant

Issue 

Thai workers torch plant

On December 17, 2000 angry workers at Sanyo Universal Electric burned down a four-storey warehouse and the office building of the Japanese manufacturer in Thailand after protesting in vain at management's decision to cut their year-end bonus to half of the previous year's level.

Employing the workers mainly on a casual basis, a practice common in Thailand, means that overtime pay and bonuses usually account for a big chunk — more than one-third on average — of their take-home pay, and that they are not entitled to vacation or benefits.

Labour disputes in Thailand have risen from 495 in 1991 to 1075 in 1995.

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