CCC PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release

(Amsterdam) On September 23, the Clean Clothes Campaign will welcome Ms. Wanphen Wongsombat of the Triumph International Thailand Labour Union (TITLU) and Ms. Premjai Jaikla of the Thai Labour Campaign as they tour Europe to press Triumph International to ensure compliance with its Code of Conduct, international labour standards and basic human rights.

Ms. Wanphen Wongsombat and Ms. Premjai Jaikla will begin their tour in Norway and continue on to Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. The two will discuss working conditions and labour relations at Triumph International's subsidiary, Body Fashion Thailand.

The union recently went on strike to protest the dismissal of its union president, Ms. Jitra Kotshadej, in relation to her appearance during her private time in a national television debate wearing a t-shirt with the text 'Those who do not stand are not criminals. Thinking differently is not a crime.' The t-shirt refers to the right of people not to stand when the royal anthem is played and the abuse of lèse-majesté legislation to suppress political opposition.

From July 30 until September 13, more than 2,000 workers were on strike to demand reinstatement of their union president. In an agreement to end the strike, Triumph International insisted on letting the Thai courts decide the case instead of reinstating Ms. Kotshadej. The union members, fearing for their jobs and under high pressure because of a lack of financial resources, had no other option than to sign the agreement. The Clean Clothes Campaign remains concerned about the company's commitment to uphold its Code of Conduct, which explicitly includes freedom of expression and freedom of association. "Triumph should stop misusing the courts and simply make good on its promise to protect freedom of association and expression," said Tessel Pauli, Urgent Appeals Coordinator for the Clean Clothes Campaign.

Ms. Wanphen Wongsombat and Ms. Premjai Jaikla are hoping to meet with representatives of Triumph International at its headquarters in Germany and Switzerland to discuss problems at the factory and urge Triumph International to ensure protection of workers' rights.

The Clean Clothes Campaign has criticized Triumph for denying 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.