Migrant Garment Workers Finally Receive Every Penny They Earned

When it was revealed that garment workers in Thailand were illegally underpaid to make products for major brands, one of those big names agreed to give the employees the outstanding amount they were owed in wages.

“We take this matter very seriously and this is not in line with our core values,” says a spokesperson from NBCUniversal, owner of Universal Studios which gave $20,000 to a group of Myanmar workers as part of a settlement to give a total of $116,550 owed in unpaid wages. “Since the former licensee has failed to respond to multiple requests to pay the affected Thai factory workers, we are making a goodwill donation to MAP Foundation […] to distribute funds directly to the workers.”

Dozens of Myanmar migrants working in the western region of Mae Sot were paid less than the daily minimum wage of $10.32, and a group of 26 workers sued the owner, Kanlayanee Ruengrit, first to no avail. With major brands taking responsibility, it is the first time underpaid workers in Mae Sot receive every penny they are owned in a wage dispute. This case sets an example and now, legal measures must follow so brands are held accountable. “Without (government) legislation, the happy ending of the Kanlayanee story will continue to be as unobtainable as a fairytale ending for most workers,” says Ilona Kelly, a coordinator at pressure group Clean Clothes Campaign.