Three union activists have been dismissed from their employment at KFC in Thailand after they established a union and sought to bargain a collective agreement with KFC management. The Thai ministry of labour approved the registration of the Cuisine and Services Thailand Workers Union after over 200 workers signed and submitted a proposal seeking to negotiate with the company to improve wages and working conditions. Shortly after this, Apantree Charoensak, Krit Suang-aranan and Siwaporn Somjit , who were active as union representatives were terminated without notice or due process.

The company then proceeded to harass and intimidate the remaining workers by holding a series of meetings putting pressure on them to withdraw their support for the union. The company, Yum! Thailand, which is a subsidiary of the U.S based Yum! Brands Inc. owns world famous brands such as KFC and Pizza Hut . Management has refused to negotiate with the union and has failed to attend a series of mediation meetings organized by officers the Ministry of Labour. Ma Wei Pin, IUF Asia Pacific regional secretary stated in a letter to Yum Thailand that their actions constitute “ a clear breach of human rights and of internationally acknowledged basic labour right to organize and to bargain collectively (as embodied in ILO Convention 98)

Act Now! Click Here To send a message to Yum! Thailand demanding that the three workers be immediately reinstated, and that the company stop intimidating workers and enter into negotiations with the union in good faith.