Goodyear Engaged in Union-Busting in Thailand

The ICEM is sharply critical of labour practices being carried out by Goodyear Thailand Ltd., a subsidiary of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. of the United States. Local management at the 600-worker factory in Bangkok has systematically denied basic trade union rights to members and officers of ICEM affiliate Petroleum and Chemical Workers' Federation of Thailand (PCFT).

PCFT Branch Chairman Anan Pol-ung

In March, managers fired the chairman of the Goodyear Thailand branch of the PCFT, Anan Pol-ung, for merely carrying out his lawful responsibilities in attempting to achieve social benefits for workers in the factory's rubber stock division. Many of these employees have worked at the plant for over ten years, but are employed under one-year, fixed-term contracts that deny them the same benefits as permanent employees.

"We call on the company to immediately reinstate Brother Anan," stated ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs. "His dismissal by local managers was a blatant attempt to remove an effective voice for workers."

Anan's dismissal was followed by Goodyear Thailand management denying him access to the plant in order to perform legitimate trade union functions. More recently, another union member in the plant's Quality Assurance Department has been dismissed without union consultation and the PCFT branch secretary has been given a "last chance" warning for merely taking sick leave.

Trade unionists at Goodyear Thailand
support Anan at the Bangkok plant

The ICEM also protests discriminatory pay practices at Goodyear Thailand in which workers employed in the same position, performing similar work, receive disparate wage rates. It was such practices that Anan and other leaders in the branch brought attention to that earned them disciplinary action.

In an early April letter to Goodyear President, Chairman and CEO Robert Keegan at US headquarters in Akron, Ohio, Higgs wrote: "The ICEM, a global union federation with 20 million members and 425 affiliates, believes these grievance matters are very serious, and in direct violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and Thai labour law. We also believe these labour relations practices are contrary to several ILO Core Conventions and, as well, do not conform to the Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)."

Goodyear has failed to respond to the letter, which asked senior leadership of the company to intervene and put a halt to the negative labour practices.

Since, Thai management has unilaterally reduced wages and social benefits for some employees who perform the same work as others, a move that has created even more disparity between workers.

The PCFT has taken the unfair violations to its collective agreement-including the illegal dismissal of Anan Pol-ung-before a Thai labour court. The matter of the employment status of the contract workers also was brought by the union before the labour court, and further hearings on both matters will occur in late July.

"We hope that corporate leadership of Goodyear in the United States recognizes the problems created by management," stated the ICEM's Higgs, "and acts in a diligent and forthright manner to correct such ill-will toward our affiliate in Thailand. Such behaviour can only harm the company's reputation globally."

The 40-year-old Bangkok factory produces tyres for automobiles, light trucks and larger vehicles, including heavy trucks and construction equipment, and can manufacture 6,500 units per day.