Economic Growth, At What Price?
After a decade of promoting foreign investment, Thailand now proclaims itself as Asia’s fifth economic ‘dragon’. Since 1991, the country’s annual GDP growth has been above 7%. For many third-world countries, Thailand’s success story reaffirms the paradigm of the ‘‘NIC’’ model of capitalist development in Asia.
The Kader factory fire on May 10 reveals the ugly reality of modern industrialisation in Asia. Many economists argued that one of the main factors contributing to fast economic growth in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and now southern China, and even Vietnam is cheap labour. This apparently gives industrialists virtual freedom to exploit workers, pollute and poison the environment, without fear of being penalised. Asian governments bet on the promise of an ‘economic miracle’ to offer privileges known as ‘competitive advantages’ to foreign investment.
For the workers in the industrial zones, occupational accidents and industrial hazards are part of everyday life. Regrettably it takes a case as serious as the Kader fire to arouse public and international concern. The horrifying images of burnt corpses and injured workers will leave an impression in people’s minds forever, but it will not deter industrialists from the pursuit of profit. Nor will the government abandon the fast track to economic growth.
The present horrific rate of industrial disasters will continue to plague Asian workers. This does, however, reaffirm the importance of workers’ organisations in defending labour rights. The Kader case also demonstrates that solidarity beyond national boundaries is increasingly a necessity to defend workers’ rights in TNCs.
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