---------------------------------------------------------------------
From The Clean Clothes Campaign

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Take action now. Go to
http://www.cleanclothes.org/urgent/08-08-25.html#action
---------------------------------------------------------------------

On July 30, 2008, a Thai subsidiary of Triumph International, one of the
world’s largest makers of intimate apparel, dismissed union president
Jitra Kotshadej for wearing an unfashionable t-shirt. She wasn’t wearing
the t-shirt at work, and it wasn’t the colour or the design of the
t-shirt that caused offence. It was the message that caused the problem:
‘Those who do not stand are not criminals. Thinking differently is not a
crime.’ The t-shirt refers to the abuse of lèse-majesté legislation to
suppress political opposition and the right of people to refrain from
standing during the royal anthem. Ms. Kotshadej was participating in a
late night TV debate on women’s reproductive rights when she wore the
t-shirt. Despite the fact that she was speaking in her private time and
not in her capacity as a union leader or worker at Triumph’s Body
Fashion (Thailand) Ltd. Factory, she was dismissed. Since then, 3000 of
her co-workers walked out of the factory in a show of solidarity,
demanding the reinstatement of their union president.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Support their fight for freedom of expression and union rights! Write to
Triumph today.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

On July 29, 2008 the management of Body Fashion Thailand (BFT) notified
Jitra Kotshadej, president of the Triumph International Labour Union,
that she was dismissed, taking effect on the next day, July 30.
Management claimed that Kotshadej defamed the reputation of the company
by wearing the t-shirt in a Thai TV program on April 24, 2008. Without
Ms. Kotshadej’s prior knowledge, the company had filed a petition with
the labour court and received permission to dismiss her. Ms. Kotshadej
never even had a chance to defend herself, since she was not told about
the case by management, and she never received the summons nor the court
order.

After her dismissal, 3000 Triumph International Labour Union members
immediately went on strike in solidarity with their union president. The
workers are demanding Ms. Kotshadej’s reinstatement and a guarantee that
the company won’t take any disciplinary measures against workers
participating in the strike. The Triumph International Labour Union is
one of the strongest unions in Thailand, with 70 percent union
membership at the company. The majority of members are women. The union
views the dismissal of their president as a veiled attack on the union,
which successfully negotiated a collective bargaining agreement this
summer.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Foul Play by Triumph Management
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite several meetings between the union, factory management and
government officials, no agreement has been reached in this case. The
Swiss headquarters of Triumph International has reportedly refused to
accept any agreement that included reinstatement of the union president.
In a letter to the CCC dated August 8, the company refuses to respond to
the call for reinstatement of Ms. Kotshadej’s. Also in a leaflet
distributed amongst the striking workers on August 13, it was explicitly
mentioned that the company would not rehire the union president. In
response to pressure from the CCC, Triumph International later claimed
to agree with the three demands presented by the workers, but then
issued a statement in which it expressed its unwillingness “to discuss
reinstatement of the former employee at this time”. The Triumph
International Labour Union has presented the company with 2500
signatures of union members supporting the fight for reinstatement,
which it refused to accept. For more information, visit the Thai Labour
Campaign http://www.thailabour.org/tlc08en/

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tell Triumph to respect human and trade union rights!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Triumph International should immediately guarantee Ms. Kotshadej the
basic human right of freedom of expression, which is part of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as of the OECD guidelines
for Multinational Enterprises that lays down the principles companies
should adhere to regarding labour and consumer rights. In its refusal to
sign negotiated agreements, Triumph International has deliberately
dragged out this case. Protesting workers remain without salary for
almost a month. Nevertheless, they maintain strong support for the union
president. As they say: “One worker has been fighting for many years in
support of thousands of workers at the factory, so now we are fighting
for that one worker”.

Please support the Triumph International workers in Thailand, and call
for the immediate reinstatement of their union president. Write today to
Triumph International’s headquarters in Switzerland.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Go to http://www.cleanclothes.org/urgent/08-08-25.html#action or copy
the sample letter below and send it to Leonardo Innocenzi, Global Head
of Supply Chain:
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Leonardo Innocenzi
Triumph International
Global Head of Supply Chain
Email: leonardo.innocenzi@triumph.com

cc. Prasad Ramakrishnan
Triumph International
Corporate Head of Production - Global Supply Chain
E-mail: prasad.ramakrishnan@triumph.com

Dear Mr. Innocenzi,

I want to express my serious concern about the recent dismissal of Jitra
Kotshadej, union president at your subsidiary Body Fashion (Thailand)
Ltd, for wearing a t-shirt with the text “Those do not stand are not
criminals. Thinking differently is not a crime.” Freedom of expression
is a basic human right, and guaranteed within the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights and the OECD guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

I am shocked to hear that your company does not respect this basic
right, and has proceeded to dismiss Jitra Kotshadej for expressing her
personal opinion, claiming that she has damaged the company. I call upon
Triumph International to immediately reverse the dismissal of Jitra
Kotshadej, and urge your subsidiary Body Fashion (Thailand) Ltd. to:

1) Immediately reinstate union president Jitra Kotshadej at her previous
position and without conditions;

2) Take back the union members who have laid down their work in support
of Jitra Kotshadej, without conditions or disciplinary actions, and with
a compensation for their lost income;

3) Engage in a dialogue with the union regarding the reported anti-union
activities of BFT management staff members.

Please inform me about any steps you take in this case.

Sincerely,