Around 1,450 Myanmar migrant workers were abruptly fired by an electronics firm in Thailand’s Phetchaburi Province this week after being pressured to sign away their jobs, labor rights activists say.
Workers sacked from Cal-Comp Electronics told The Irrawaddy they were forced out of the factory on Tuesday evening after being confined inside all day and threatened with arrest unless they signed documents in exchange for a lump‑sum payment of 10,000 baht (around US$ 308).
Labor activists say the company violated Thai labor law by failing to provide advance notice and coercing employees into signing termination papers.
Workers said that members of the Myanmar Embassy joined local authorities in carrying out the mass dismissal. They also accused factory staff of bribing Thai officials to overlook the illegal action.
“We were told to sign and accept 10,000 baht. Myanmar Embassy officials were present, but they responded only to the Thai employer’s demand while ignoring our plea. Workers who refused to sign were threatened with arrest. We had no choice but to leave,” one worker said.
Many of the dismissed employees had paid brokers between 10,000 and 15,000 baht to secure jobs at the plant, which produces circuit boards and electronic components, including Apple Watch parts, according to the Myanmar Human Rights Alliance Committee (MHAC).
The company employs a total of 29,256 employees, many of whom are Myanmar nationals.
Some of those sacked had worked less than four months, making them ineligible for severance pay under Thai law. Labor activists said the company exploited this loophole to carry out the mass layoff without notice.
“Under Thai labor law, employers don’t have to pay compensation to workers dismissed after less than four months. But since this was a sudden and mass dismissal, workers can file complaints,” said Ye Min of the MHAC.
Cal‑Comp Electronics said the layoffs were necessary due to global economic pressures and falling demand. It said the mass dismissal complied with Thai labor law and employment contracts and followed consultations with provincial labor and welfare agencies, Thai media outlet Khaosod English reported.
The firm said all affected workers received legally required compensation plus additional benefits, including housing and travel allowances and one month’s extra wages. A temporary assistance center has also been set up to support dismissed staff.
A group of workers who refused to sign the termination document remain in limbo, with rights groups preparing to file complaints with Thailand’s Ministry of Labor over alleged violations.
