WRC Investigation – Hong Seng Knitting (Thailand)

Please find here a brief report concerning the WRC’s investigation and remediation of the threatened discriminatory dismissal of female Burmese migrant workers at a Thai garment factory, Hong Seng Knitting. The factory has been disclosed by Russell Corporation as a supplier of university logo apparel, and also produces non-collegiate garments for Nike and Carter’s, Inc.

Hong Seng Knitting employs roughly one thousand workers, of whom approximately 250 are migrant workers from Burma. A WRC investigation initiated in August 2012 concluded that the factory’s stated justification for seeking to dismiss three of these migrant workers – poor job performance – was merely a pretext for dismissing them on account of pregnancy, which is a violation of Thai labor law, international labor and human rights standards, and university codes of conduct. The factory was also failing to provide the pregnant workers with legally-mandated accommodation in their job assignments.

Fortunately, as a result of timely intervention by the WRC – and by Nike – the impending dismissals were rescinded and the workers were assigned duties that did not pose risks to their health and safety. Although this corrective action directly impacted only the three pregnant workers who were being immediately threatened with dismissal, further engagement by the WRC and Nike led the factory’s management to also take broader steps to prevent future violations of this kind and improve conditions for its female and Burmese migrant workers.

The broader improvements made by the factory include: revision of company policies relating to work performance, employee evaluation and pregnancy status; enrollment of pregnant workers to receive social security maternity benefits; provision of Thai language classes to Burmese migrant workers; and assignment of pregnant workers to job duties that do not pose risks to health and safety. Given the widely-reported prevalence of discriminatory treatment of Burmese migrant workers in Thailand, these steps are significant indeed. 

Scott Nova 
Worker Rights Consortium 
5 Thomas Circle NW, 5th Floor 
Washington DC 20005 
ph  202 387 4884 
fax 202 387 3292 
[email protected] 
www.workersrights.org