KFC EMPLOYESS FORCED TO LIVE ON INSTANT NOODLES AND LEFTOVER FRIED CHICKEN

[Admin]

KFC EMPLOYESS FORCED TO LIVE ON INSTANT NOODLES AND LEFTOVER FRIED CHICKEN

Complaints over KFC's 'unfair practices'
By THE NATION 2011-05-10

Employees of the KFC fast-food restaurants filed a compliant with the Labour Relations Committee yesterday about alleged unfair employment practices and job termination, revealing that they were given instant noodles and leftovers to eat while the firm earned Bt6 billion a year.

Meanwhile, Yum Restaurants International (Thailand), which runs the KFC and Pizza Hut chain, issued a statement saying that senior executives had directly addressed the issue under the company's "pro-employee" agenda.

And, Milind Pant, managing director of the company, said yesterday in response to the complaint that it treated all the employees fairly, complying with Thai laws.

Former KFC employees Krit Suang-aranan, Siwaporn Somjit and Apantri Charoensak showed up at the committee's offices yesterday to complain that they were let go of unfairly because they had gathered 260 signatures to propose a 10-point demand including a salary rise, a bonus, additional benefits and one free meal a day. The three were accompanied by the vice president of the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee (TLSC), Chaiyasit Suksomboon.

The complainants, who previously supervised 33 KFC branches with 900 workers in Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Pathum Thani, claimed that employees were given an unfair wage of merely Bt27 per hour or Bt5,200 a month.

However, Milind said the company had increased the wages for all part-time employees by 10 per cent since April 4 due to high inflation. So, a part-time employee who worked more than 20 days per month was paid Bt6,500 monthly. Earlier, it announced that it would give 10 per cent incentives to employees based on their store performance late last year.

"We insist that we pay them equal or more than other companies," he added.

For full-time employees, the company had announced it would give them a five per cent salary hike early this year and another four per cent salary hike in June, he said.

"These workers live on instant noodles and leftover fried chicken. Some finish work as late as 1am, and they are not even given any transport allowance," Siwaporn said, adding that this was despite the fact that the company earned between Bt5 billion and Bt6 billion a year.

She added that her group had been forced to resign for allegedly inciting the workers and the company had also posted negative comments about them on its website.

On the other hand, Apantri said the company's lawyers had spoken to them on May 3 and announced unofficially that the company would raise salaries by 4 per cent from June 4, as well as establish a social-security fund for workers from next January.

Chaiyasit, meanwhile, said the company was clearly treating employees unfairly and that the committee would discuss measures such as campaigning for a boycott of KFC food products. They will also file a complaint with the International Labour Organisation, the National Human Rights Commission, the prime minister as well as the Labour Court, he said.

Milind responded that his company had terminated those three former area managers because they violated its code of conduct. They had used the emails of the company to spread false information to other employees in lower positions, such as restaurant managers in a bid to get their support.

He said they claimed they were members of the company's welfare committee even though they were not, and that they persuaded others to support their actions. Being in higher positions and claiming they represented the welfare committee, other lower position employees trusted them.

"Each of the employees is valued. We care for everyone. I don't know who is misguiding them (the three terminated employees)," Milind said.

In a statement, Yum Thailand said that the company had a family of 10,000 workers in 325 restaurants in 72 provinces and that it valued a "pro-employee" environment where employees and the company had a direct relationship.

The statement said that Yum always sought feedback so it could improve its "pro-employee" policies and that it had recently enhanced both short- and long-term benefits for all full-time employees. It added that Yum was committed to complying with the law.

The statement said the management had received a request from some employees who constituted a very small part of the 10,000-strong family, and that senior management had met with the group personally as per the principles of the company's "pro-employee" agenda.

[isanbirder]

How terrible for them!  Many college students in Thailand live on instant noodles for the last fortnight of each month (having spent all their monthly allowance), and would be grateful for the chicken leftovers.

[Prakhonchai Nick]

If employees do not like their conditions of employment, they are free to leave. If indeed they don't leave till after 1am, chances are they they did not start until mid afternoon, having most of the day free!

As I understand here, the employees are paid above the minimum wage.



 

[Vombatus]

How terrible for them!  Many college students in Thailand live on instant noodles for the last fortnight of each month (having spent all their monthly allowance), and would be grateful for the chicken leftovers.

I agree, noodles and 'leftovers' are often the meal of choice. As Nick says, budgeting is not a strong point and once money has been spent noodles/leftovers are perfectly acceptable.

Fascinating report. Next we will be seeing a growth in trade unions with petitions presented to 7/11 HQ and monks demanding an allowance for wet weather gear !

[Prakhonchai Nick]

How terrible for them!  Many college students in Thailand live on instant noodles for the last fortnight of each month (having spent all their monthly allowance), and would be grateful for the chicken leftovers.

I agree, noodles and 'leftovers' are often the meal of choice. As Nick says, budgeting is not a strong point and once money has been spent noodles/leftovers are perfectly acceptable.

Fascinating report. Next we will be seeing a growth in trade unions with petitions presented to 7/11 HQ and monks demanding an allowance for wet weather gear !

Our morning, saffron robed "beggars" stay put in their air conditioned rooms when it's raining

[Murtle_71]

I  wonder where it will end....

I can remember starting work in the late 80's and wondering how we could could compete against the Japanese workers with there low wages....

Now they earn more then we do.....

Thailands wages will go up by how much time will tell....


KFC sell chick in Thailand for well over what you can get it on the streets for. It gets away with it because people buy it.

[Admin]

I still think it is more appropriate to let the workers get a meal set of their choice (lets say up to 100 Baht) from the menu, One meal for each worker each shift.
Its a shame and the boss is to blame bad manager bad workers.
He must have learnt it somewhere at university! 

[Prakhonchai Nick]

I rather suspect the local managers hands are tied.

Just because it is a food store does not necessarily mean the staff are entitled to free meals on top of their hourly wage.

Most restaurants etc that provide one or meals a day for their staff adjust their wage accordingly.

"Can't have your cake and eat it"............An English idiom Almog!

[Admin]

I rather suspect the local managers hands are tied.

Just because it is a food store does not necessarily mean the staff are entitled to free meals on top of their hourly wage.

Most restaurants etc that provide one or meals a day for their staff adjust their wage accordingly.

"Can't have your cake and eat it"............An English idiom Almog!

Especially because its a food store!
Leting your workers to smell,prepare,serve the food without tasting it is really not nice thing to do, first thing in sales and marketing, make your sales men believe in the product they are selling.
I think they deserve a FREE STANDARD meal.

Its not the law but its human and essential when running food business and I think its the norma in most restaurants.

[manupete]

I rather suspect the local managers hands are tied.

Just because it is a food store does not necessarily mean the staff are entitled to free meals on top of their hourly wage.

Most restaurants etc that provide one or meals a day for their staff adjust their wage accordingly.

"Can't have your cake and eat it"............An English idiom Almog!

Especially because its a food store!
Leting your workers to smell,prepare,serve the food without tasting it is really not nice thing to do, first thing in sales and marketing, make your sales men believe in the product they are selling.
I think they deserve a FREE STANDARD meal.

Its not the law but its human and essential when running food business and I think its the norma in most restaurants.

Come on ,be honest,they should get paid extra for having to smell that cr*p all day long.

KFC is sh**

[Prakhonchai Nick]

Everyone is missing the point.

A job is on offer. You arrange an interview. The terms and conditions are outlined to you. You are offered the job and you accept.

What right do you then have to demand a change in those conditions?

If you weren't happy at the outset (insufficient pay, holiday, pensions, lack of a meal etc)  then you could have said NO THANKS!

[Admin]

Nick is right.
I was talking about the idea/concept.

If the workers don't like the conditions they should resign and that's it.

[manupete]

Everyone is missing the point.

A job is on offer. You arrange an interview. The terms and conditions are outlined to you. You are offered the job and you accept.

What right do you then have to demand a change in those conditions?

If you weren't happy at the outset (insufficient pay, holiday, pensions, lack of a meal etc)  then you could have said NO THANKS!

I bet Krit Suang-aranan, Siwaporn Somjit and Apantri Charoensak are Red shirts,the commie nutter's   

[Prakhonchai Nick]

Whilst I believe most if not all of BRE restaurant sponsors provide free meals for their staff, with a multi -national such as KFC, the cost of providing meals for all Thai staff (who far outnumber those found in European KFC's), would bear heavily on the costs. 

Staff in some sponsors restaurants appear to eat continuously throughout the day! 

[Dave the Dude]

Staff in some sponsors restaurants appear to eat continuously throughout the day! 

Maybe the customers arn't eating enough grub!