Canadoil

ILO violation 87 : Management at Canadoil Asia based in Amata City, Rayong, one of the production facilities of the Canadoil Group, a major producer of oil pipelines, has consistently refused to bargain with the workers since they formed their union in August 2005. Supervisors identified and interrogated union leaders and activists, and offered financial incentives to rank and file members to resign from the union. By June 2006, intensifying harassment and discriminatory treatment (e.g. bonus and wage increases only given to non-union members) finally caused enough union committee resignations that the union was forced to hold an emergency general meeting to elect a new union committee. A new set of collective bargaining demands were put forward by the union, but again factory management refused to negotiate and defied or delayed efforts by local MOL officials to mediate the dispute. Meanwhile, the factory owner recruited Thai Army soldiers to provide security at times at the factory, and hired contract workers to continue production. The union president filed a comprehensive legal case in the Labour Court against the employer, alleging anti-union discrimination in wages, transfers, overtime, and other aspects of wage and working conditions. The case was accepted for consideration by the Labour Relations Committee but was still under review at the time of this report.: Thailand