BY DAVE GILBERT
BANGKOK — Fifty sweatshop workers and students protested outside the Shangri La Hotel here on November 14 against the visit of golf champion and Nike sponsor Tiger Woods. They called on Nike to respect workers' rights to join unions and to engage in collective bargain. A "livable wage" was also a key demand, which was defined as being sufficient to "enable a worker and two dependents to live in decent conditions".
The action was organised by workers from Thai Iryo Garment Workers Union, Par Garment Workers Union and representatives from the Labour Coordination Centre, Thai Labour Campaign, State Railway Workers Union and members of Thai Student Federation.
"Nike must take responsibility for the welfare of workers producing their products, no matter whether it is a factory or subcontractor and no matter the nationality of the employee", said Savit Kaewvarn, vice-secretary general of the All State Enterprise Workers Federation.
An estimated 70,000 garment workers in Thailand produce Nike products. According to the Thai Labour Campaign, "factories producing for Nike have been shifting production to subcontractors and non-union facilities, and to the provinces where wages and benefits are lower".
Woods is on a US$100 million contract with Nike. His daily salary equals the pay of 14,000 Thai Nike workers. Protesters' banners included "Tiger Woods: Stop puttering around. Take a swing for workers' rights" and "Be on par with worker's rights".
Woods refused to meet the protesters, who requested he take their appeal to Nike. Instead, he sent a marketing representative who accused the protesters of "being a threat to Thailand's economic miracle".
For more information, contact Thai Labour Campaign's Junya Yimprasert at +66 1 617 5491 or +66 2 692 7963.