News Forum - UK Tesco accused of using slave labour in Thailand | GMT

[Thaiger]

In today’s episode, Pheu Thai Party wants to reform tourism, cut red tape, UK Tesco accused of using slave labour in Thailand, Thailand leads BBC travel destination poll, Navy ship sinks in the Gulf of Thailand, 84 rescued, 1 dead, 21 missing, Thailand to open all land border crossings next year.

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[Pinetree]

Tesco International left Thailand a few years ago.

[Soidog]

I find the article about Tesco totally frustrating. I assume these people will also be taking the owners of the sweatshop to court in Thailand? Yeah right…

You can imagine the conversation with their lawyer:

Workers Rep: Not happy with the way we are being treated and want money in compensation:

Lawyer: Well, we could take the owner to a Thai court with their third world employment and human rights.  Not to mention corruption and the risk of the factory owner having me and you both shot. Even if we win, we would get maybe 2,000 baht each. Or, we could go after Tesco in the U.K. and be nice and safe, claim legal aid to press the case and if we win get £100k per person in an out of court settlement and my fees of around £2m. Which would you prefer? 

[Manu]

Quote

Burmese workers that produced F+F jeans for Tesco in Thailand report being trapped in effective forced labour, working 99-hour weeks for illegally low pay in appalling conditions

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/dec/18/workers-in-thailand-who-made-ff-jeans-for-tesco-trapped-in-effective-forced-labour

The usual disgusting and inuhuman practices from a big corporation on purpose (the purpose of more profits) knowing full well that in some locations in the world they normally get away with.

Quote

Tesco said the garments were sold only on the Thai market, though the Guardian has seen images of labels written in English on clothes understood to be made there. Profits from sales in Thailand went back to the UK.

So all this for more profits only for a few British fat pockets to be a little fatter. And a rightly lawsuit to be brought to UK's justice. Those fat pockets are so fat that it won't make any difference to them, sure their shark lawyers will get the best deal for them too. But at least the empty pockets of those Burmese slaves will get a nice relief.

[Soidog]

57 minutes ago, Manu said:

The usual disgusting and inuhuman practices from a big corporation on purpose (the purpose of more profits) knowing full well that in some locations in the world they normally get away with.

And the factory owner? What happens to them? These big corporations you seem so against don’t make these items on their own. You sound like the same people who blame only white people for slavery. 

[Grumpish]

Lots of ponderables in the Tesco case - how much control over the Asian operation did Tesco UK exercise, did they raise and act on any concerns about worker exploitation, were they deliberately misled by the factory owner, do they even have any liability since they sold the Asian operation back to the CP Group two or three years back? Enough to keep the lawyers (very) profitably employed for quite a while.. 

[Soidog]

3 hours ago, Grumpish said:

Lots of ponderables in the Tesco case - how much control over the Asian operation did Tesco UK exercise, did they raise and act on any concerns about worker exploitation, were they deliberately misled by the factory owner, do they even have any liability since they sold the Asian operation back to the CP Group two or three years back? Enough to keep the lawyers (very) profitably employed for quite a while.. 

Yes, as you say, a lot to make lots of money from for the lawyers. 
 

You also have to ask where does liability start and stop. Tesco will have gone to the market, or been approached about supplying items for their stores. If a nation like Thailand, that claims to be a developing nation, can’t set standards and enforce them, then what are companies to do? 
 

They could of course take their business elsewhere. To suggest or even regulate that each step of a supply chain needs to be assessed and regularly monitored by a company is very expensive and time consuming. The problem is Thailand and how it turns a blind eye to such abuses. Sort that crap out and things will get a lot better. We’ve seen it in the seafood market and no doubt many others. 
 

If Tesco U.K. loose this case then they should go after the Factory owner and the Thai government to recover costs. I’m sure the Tesco contract will have included social and environmental responsibility. Unless of. Purse this was all negotiated and approved by Tesco Thailand? Hence it’s a Thai issue and not a U.K. issue. 

Finally, we are all “guilty” of playing our part in this kind of thing. How many times do we hear people say Thailand is a cheap holiday destination and place to live? Well, we all know why it’s cheap. It’s not because Thai companies don’t want to make as much profit as western companies. It’s simply because they keep operating costs down by paying less. 

[Manu]

16 hours ago, Soidog said:

And the factory owner? What happens to them? These big corporations you seem so against don’t make these items on their own. You sound like the same people who blame only white people for slavery. 

Quote

Tesco made £2.2bn profits in 2020, the last year that its Thai business used VKG.

Big corporations use these factories so in case they get caught, they can pretend they did not know it was that bad... But when they get caught, they ALWAYS come out with that kind of statements...

Quote

Tesco said that protecting the rights of everyone in its supply chain was absolutely essential and that had it identified serious issues like these at the time it would have ended its relationship with VKG immediately.

But then of course they knew from the start. They used this factory cause if fact they knew it would be maximal profits, no other reasons whatsoever. They knew the profits were worth the trouble. Everyone is guilty in that story. Tesco is guilty. But of course, the reason why Tesco used this factory (and all big corporations using similar ones), is they know nothing will happen to it. That is why they used them in the first place. Nobody will do anything against these factories cause they are located in countries where human lives mean nothing. And the story goes on...

When you are guilty, you are. That someone else is as well does not make you less guilty of that crime. Most especially that kind of inhuman crimes...

[Soidog]

3 hours ago, Manu said:

Big corporations use these factories so in case they get caught, they can pretend they did not know it was that bad

Evidence to back that up, or just your opinion? 

Many people who criticise large businesses forget one very important thing. Most are PLC’s including Tesco and they have shareholders. Many of these are the large pension funds, both private and national. The profits these companies make and the dividends they pay to shareholders is what pays the hundreds of millions their pensions every month. Perhaps even yours? 
 

Exploitation of people and below market pay is totally unacceptable. My point in this; which you haven’t addressed in your reply, is what about the Thai company who ran the sweatshop? What’s happening there? The owners saw first hand what they were doing. 
 

Im sure that if Tesco go to court and no evidence is presented to bring about a conviction, you will brush it off as “nothing will happen”. Guilty until proven more guilty in the minds of some people.