For all the hard work I put in doing double shifts and floor sets the pay was just horrible. Through the perseverance of the workers, the Triumph union leadership and countless international actions of solidarity, a 13-month long struggle concludes with an agreement that pays the [Brilliant] workers their legal severance, she said. Former worker Jitnawatcharee Panad had clocked up 25 years at the factory and said more than a third of the sacked workers were women 45 and older. Copyright 2018 - IndustriALL - We care about your personal information and data. It was unclear how much of the settlement Victoria's Secret would cover, saying in the statement that BAT's owner were not "in a position to conclude this matter on their own" so the company "agreed to advance the severance funds to factory owners," without revealing the amount. Over several months we had been in active communication with the factory owners to facilitate a resolution, Victorias Secret said in a statement last week. This case serves as a lesson in the future for the government to ensure that foreign companies doing business in Thailand allocate some portion of monthly profit for fair compensation when these companies cease domestic operations, he said. Victoria's Secret pays sacked Thai workers $8.3m in 'wage theft The workers petitioned the Thai Labor Ministry to intervene without success. We have been cheated out of our severance that we need in order to be able to take care of our kids and our parents.. On 11 March 2021, 1,388 workers were made jobless after the lingerie manufacturer Brilliant Alliance Thai Global Ltd (BAT) in Thailand, which supplied brands including Ascena Group, Lane Bryant and Victoria's Secret, suddenly closed without paying workers' unpaid wages or severance. Over several months we had been in active communication with the factory owners to facilitate a resolution, the company said. Brilliant, which is in the middle of bankruptcy and liquidation proceedings, previously offered to settle the debt in installment payments over 10 years. The factory also produced underwear for plus-size American brands Lane Bryant and Torrid, owned by Sycamore Partners but only Victorias Secret contributed to the settlement via a loan arrangement with the factorys owners. 28 June, 2021300 garment workers producing for lingerie giant Victorias Secret protested against unpaid wages and severance pay in front of Brilliant Alliance Thai Global Ltd. (BAT) in Thailand. The agreement is the largest-ever wage theft settlement at an individual garment factory, the international workers rights group Solidarity Centre said. The $8 million settlement comprises wages, benefits and severance, plus 15 percent in annual interest. Former worker Jitnawatcharee Panad had clocked up 25 years at the factory and said more than a third of the sacked workers were women 45 and older. Confederation of Industrial Labour of Thailand president, Prasit Prasopsuk, said some protesting workers had been charged with criminal offences, including violating public gathering rules during the pandemic. The $8 million settlement comprises wages, benefits and severance, plus 15 percent in annual interest. Victorias Secret Intervenes in Thai Workers 13-Month Wage Struggle. Why This Lawmaker Wants to Stop Gusher of Cheap ChineseProducts, How Asics and Tapestry Took onTraceability, 4 Gildan Union Leaders Die in Honduras Shooting, Boss Denies Factory 'Hired Goons' Who Beat Bangladeshi Union Leader to Death, Gaslighting on Top of Greenwashing: Shein Influencer Trip UnderFire, UPS Concedes to Make-or-Break TeamstersDemand, Teamsters Declare #HotUnionSummer in Testy UPSClash, Embrace Data-Driven Production: Sell the Right Product to the Right Customer with AI. Victoria's Secret pays sacked Thai workers $8.3m in 'wage theft 28 June, 2021 300 garment workers producing for lingerie giant Victoria's Secret protested against unpaid wages and severance pay in front of Brilliant Alliance Thai Global Ltd. (BAT) in Thailand. The agreement is the largest-ever wage theft settlement at an individual garment factory, the international workers rights group Solidarity Centre said. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. BAT offered to pay back the owed amount over a 10-year period, which was rejected by the workers. . The doors of the labour ministry were locked when we went there to seek help and the minister didnt seem to want to listen to our problem.. The WRC conducts independent, in-depth investigations; issues public reports on factories producing for major brands; and aids workers at these factories in their efforts to end labor abuses and defend their workplace rights. We regret they were not ultimately in a position to conclude this matter on their own so to ensure the workers received their full severance amounts owed, Victorias Secret agreed to advance the severance funds to the factory owners, Victorias Secret said. Thai Workers Win Historic $8.3 Million in Back Pay, Financed by Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. Clover Group International, which owned BAT, offered to pay this over 10-years, but the proposal was rejected by workers. Asked November 22, 2019. Author:// La Tribune avec AFP (France), "Victorias Secret Intervenes in Thai Workers 13-Month Wage Struggle", 25 May 2022. Some workers at the Samut Prakan factory had received the equivalent of more than four years wages last week, he said. We regret they were not ultimately in a position to conclude this matter on their own so to ensure the workers received their full severance amounts owed, Victorias Secret agreed to advance the severance funds to the factory owners, it added. | May 25, 2022 Thai garment workers laid off from Brilliant Alliance factory will receive an historic $8.3 million in back pay. in Germany (VR 38088 B). Agreement, the Largest Wage-Theft Settlement at a Garment Factory, Follows Year-Long Advocacy by International Labor Rights Advocates. Thailand: Garment workers at former Victoria's Secret supplier secure The US$8.3 million compensation settlement by American lingerie giant Victoria's Secret for 1,388 Thai workers who were fired in 2021 without their legally mandated severance has been a landmark victory in the campaign against wage theft. The WRC conducts independent, in-depth investigations; issues public reports on factories producing for major brands; and aids workers at these factories in their efforts to end labor abuses and defend their workplace rights. Our organization has documented hundreds of cases of wage theft in the apparel supply chain, said Scott Nova, Executive Director of the WRC. "More than 1,000 sacked Thai garment workers who made bras at a factory supplying lingerie firm Victoria's Secret have received a landmark $8.3m settlement, labour rights activists have said." The Samut Prakan lingerie factory also produced underwear for plus-size American brands Lane Bryant and Torrid, but only Victorias Secret contributed to the settlement. Weitere Informationen darber, wie wir Ihre personenbezogenen Daten nutzen, finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. The workers, many of them women aged 45 and over, faced criminal charges for protesting. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. Victorias Secret and Hong Kongs Clover Group have agreed to compensate the 1,388 former workers of Brilliant Alliance Thai Global following the factorys unexpected shutdown last March. Advocates hope the landmark payout could shake up the global garment industry, long criticised for exploiting cheap labour in the developing world. As female entrepreneurs, they completely empathize with the workers and took it on themselves as their personal responsibility to fulfill the obligations of the bankrupt company, a spokesperson told Sourcing Journal. the factory also Lingerie produced for US plus-size brands Lane Bryant and Torrid, owned by Sycamore Partners - but only Victoria's Secret contributed to the settlement via loan arrangement with Factory owners. Brilliant Alliance Thai closed down its Samut Prakan factory in March 2021 after going bankrupt. Hundreds of Thai garment workers 13-month battle to recover their unpaid salaries has finally come to a close. We will continue to hold ourselves and our partners accountable for the high standards we set for the fair treatment of workers. Victorias Secret and Hong Kongs Clover Group have agreed to compensate the 1,388 former workers of Brilliant Alliance Thai Global following the factorys unexpected shutdown last March. A workers rights group also claimed that some workers received the equivalent of more than four years wages under the settlement. The 1,250 laid-off workers many of who had worked at the factory for more than a decade did not receive severance payouts mandated under Thai law. Explore the big challenges, opportunities, debates and frameworks for business and human rights. Worker Rights Consortium executive director, Scott Nova, said those cases were just the tip of the iceberg and that the issue of wage theft in the garment industry had exploded during the pandemic as clothing orders declined. Cutting-edge new city or harmful vanity project? Thai Workers Win Historic $8.3 Million in Back Pay, Financed by Victoria's Secret by . What it means to lose that and get it back is difficult to capture in words.. The agreement is the largest-ever wage theft settlement at an individual garment factory, the international workers rights group . After the Brilliant Alliance factory closed in March 2021, the Thai government ordered its owner, Hong Kong-based Clover Group, to pay severance within 30 days. Low-wage garment workers left destitute by injustice meted out by global supply chains is nothing new, he added. All Rights reserved. Victoria's Secret pays sacked Thai workers $8.3m in 'wage theft The doors of the labour ministry were locked when we went there to seek help and the minister didnt seem to want to listen to our problem.. More than a year later, Victorias Secret & Co.the worlds most famous lingerie brand, and one of several clothing retailers that was supplied by the Samut Prakan factoryrevealed that it would extend a loan to BATs owner to help the company settle the payout. More than 1,000 workers who were sacked from a garment factory in Thailand are set to receive an $8.3 million payout financed by Victorias Secret, in the biggest ever settlement of its kind that could set a precedent for brands to better protect workers rights in the developing world. Retailer Victoria's Secret pays USD 8.3 million settlement to sacked The people who run Sycamore Partners should hang their heads in shame.. For the past year, sacked workers and Thai union representatives have protested outside Government House in Bangkok calling for their pay. Victoria's Secret Angel Barbara Palvin introduces Incredible by Victoria's Secret at the 5th Avenue store on Tuesday, April 16, 2019, in New York. Worker Rights Consortium executive director, Scott Nova, said those cases were just the tip of the iceberg and that the issue of wage theft in the garment industry had exploded during the pandemic as clothing orders declined. We also hope this represents a model for the type of domestic, governmental, international and brand engagement to resolve future cases where garment workers are left in similarly desperate straits. The content is also available in the following languages: Lingerie company Victoria's Secret has given a 'wage theft ' payment of 8.3 million USD to 1,250 laid off Thai garment workers, who have been fighting for severance payments for over a year since their factory in Samut Prakan, central Thailand, went bankrupt and closed down in March 2021. Victoria's Secret To Finance Settlement For Thai Workers - Benzinga Its an historic case given the amount of the settlement and again, hopefully, a model for the global garment industry going forward in terms of direct brand involvement. The $8 million settlement comprises wages, benefits and severance, plus 15 percent in annual interest. More than a year after BAT and its Hong Kong-based owner Clover Group refused to pay the laid-off Thai workers, Victoria's Secret & Co said this week in an emailed statement. Now is the time for a global and enforceable agreement between trade unions, global brands and their suppliers on social protection., Receive Our Daily Newsletter & Special Offers. The $8.3 million settlement comprises wages, benefits and severance, plus 15 percent in annual interest. Join the WRC mailing list to stay updated on our work. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. The WRC identified other brands that did not use Brilliant Alliance, but had influence over Clover and over a key business partner, Brandix, a Sri Lankan apparel supplier: American Eagle Outfitters, Gap, and PVH. The doors of the labour ministry were locked when we went there to seek help and the minister didnt seem to want to listen to our problem.. This case serves as a lesson in the future for the government to ensure that foreign companies doing business in Thailand allocate some portion of monthly profit for fair compensation when these companies cease domestic operations, he said. The Solidarity Center and the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) announced today that more than 1,250 Thai workers who sewed bras for Victorias Secret, Lane Bryant, and Torridand who were fired in 2021 without their legally mandated severancehave received $8.3 million (281 million baht) in compensation. In email exchanges between IndustriALL Global Union and Clover Group, the parent company of Brilliant Alliance Global Ltd. based in Hong Kong, the company claimed that it had given a proposal to Triumph International Thailand Labour Union and was in the process of filing a bankruptcy notice. 1096664, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in USA and registered charitable association (e.V.) Over 1,000 Thai garment workers who lost their jobs at a factory supplying lingerie brand Victoria's Secret received a landmark $8.3 million settlement from the global fashion brand. David Welsh, the Thailand director for U.S.-based workers rights' advocacy group the Solidarity Center, hailed the potential impact of the deal. The 1,250 laid-off workers many of who had worked at the factory for more than a decade did not receive severance payouts mandated under Thai law. We take no responsibility for the accuracy of the translation. Victoria's Secret agrees to finance $8.3 million settlement for laid Just energy transition principles for human rights in business and investment, Transition minerals and renewable energy in the Andes, Unpacking clean energy: Human rights impacts of Chinese overseas investment in transition minerals, Human rights abuses linked to Chinese investment in transition mineral projects overseas, Operating in conflict-affected contexts: An introduction to good practice, Duty failure: Scant evidence of effective due diligence by companies operating in Russia. Annie Adviento, IndustriALL South East Asia regional secretary says: We call on the company to immediately pay the workers in full, according to the order of the provincial labour office. Some workers received the equivalent of more than . Please check your email for further instructions. Glass, cement, ceramic and associated industries, Textile, garment, shoes, leather and textile services. We are pleased to share that an agreement was reached with the workers representatives and [the] Thai government, and the workers have been paid all money owed to them by [Brilliant], including interest., We remain deeply committed to serving as a strong corporate body and ensuring our products continue to be ethically sourced and manufactured with the highest supplier standards, the Pink purveyor continued. If you'd prefer to view all available content regardless of language, please change this switch. Victoria's Secret Pays $8.3M to Sacked Thai Workers in 'Unprecedented Victoria's Secret pays $8.3 mn settlement to sacked Thai workers