End of beer & alcohol at factories | Bangkok Post: learning

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In the past, some factories gave workers free beer & alcohol but fighting as well as health & production quality problems led to a new law against alcohol.

Campaigns for garment workers to cut down on on the job drinking has led to a new national law that will take effect tomorrow banning workplace drinking.

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Economics

A sobering issue in the workplace

In garment factories, alcoholism is woven into the culture
5/11/2012
Nanchanok Wongsamuth

It's six in the evening at Hua Thai Manufacturing Plc, when dozens of garment workers huddle inside and outside the factory, can of beer in hand, before starting overtime in an hour.

The company used to provide beer and alcohol to employees in the evening but stopped in 2005 after an anti-drinking campaign. The budget used to buy beers for employees now goes for gifts in the company lottery.

Located in Nonthaburi province, the 28-year-old factory employs 700-800 workers, 95% of them women

"It's not safe if two drunk employees have a row. Every time a disagreement happens, friends have to look out for each other's belongings, people end up crying and some get dragged to their cars," said 48-year-old employee Pranom Chiang-ang

Many women drink as a way to escape their problems. I was always told I couldn't understand how cool it is to drink if I don't do it myself

It took three years after the company stopped providing alcohol, for this employee to stop drinking completely and act as a role model for others

"Although it did not solve the problem 100%, employees have cut their drinking," said Mrs Pranom, who is also head of the company's labour union.

In her view, it is difficult for the law to enforce drinking prohibitions in factories although many workers support it. "Many times we've proposed this position in letters, and government officials and companies always say factories already have this measure in place. But enforcement is very loose - for instance, some put their alcohol in non-alcoholic beverage bottles so no one will notice," said Mrs Pranom...

... a law banning alcohol sales and consumption at factories nationwide in an attempt to increase work efficiency and lower health risks... will take effect tomorrow, with violators facing a maximum fine of 10,000 baht and/or a jail term of up to six months

A survey last year of 604 manufacturing workers aged 16-45 conducted by the Women's and Men's Progressive Movement Foundation found 39% said their spending on alcohol ranks just behind food and transport costs... a quarter of them pay more than 1,000 baht a month for alcohol.

Boonmee Jitrjai, the general manager of Otani Tire Co, said since the company campaigned on this issue, the relationship between workers and management has started to improve.

In the past, alcohol consumption affected the quality of our products and also caused many disagreements...

(Source: Bangkok Post, Economics, A sobering issue in the workplace, In garment factories, alcoholism is woven into the culture, 5/11/2012, Nanchanok Wongsamuth, link) 


Problem Drinking Vocabulary

alcohol - drinks such as beer, whiskey and wine that can make people drunk, alcoholic beverages (See Wikipedia) เหล้า, สุรา, เครื่องดื่มที่มีแอลกอฮอล์
alcoholism - a medical condition that makes it difficult for a person to control the amount of alcohol they drink, problem drinking (See Wikipedia)  การติดสุรา,  การติดเหล้า, โรคพิษสุราเรื้อรัง

sobering - 1. making a drunk person not drunk; 2. causes one to be serious and thoughtful (reduces drunk-like enthusiasm)
issue - a problem that needs to be considered; a subject that people discuss or argue about ประเด็น
sobering issue

workplace - a place where people work at such a factory or office สถานที่ทำงาน

garment - clothes
garment factories

woven - a cloth made by weaving เสื้อผ้าที่ลวดลายถักทอ
woven into - combined very closely with something (like thread woven into a cloth
woven into the culture

huddle - to move close together in order to stay warm เกาะกลุ่มกันไว้
workers huddle inside and outside the factory

overtime (OT) - extra hours worked beyond normal hours (with extra pay)
starting overtime in an hour

provide - to give someone something that they want or need 
The company used to provide beer and alcohol to employees in the evening

campaign - a planned group of especially political, business or military activities which are intended to achieve a particular aim การรณรงค์, การกระทำการหรือวางแผนเพื่อให้บรรลุตามเป้าหมาย
anti-drinking campaign

budget - the amounts of money that an organisation has available to spend on different things during a period งบประมาณ (See Wikipedia)
The budget used to buy beers for employees

drunk (adjective) - unable to control your actions and behaviour because you have drunk too much alcohol
drunk employees

have a row - (British English) have an argument, have a fight
drunk employees have a row

look out for - watch things or people carefully (to make sure there is no problems or things are not stolen or disappear)
belongings - the things you own ข้าวของเครื่องใช้

look out for your belongings
friends have to look out for each other's belongings

end up - situation in the end (after many events pass)
end up crying - after events pass, you are crying

people end up crying and some get dragged to their cars

employee - someone who is paid regularly to work for a person or an organisation ลูกจ้าง

cool - clever; impressive ดีเลิศ (คำสแลง)

I couldn't understand how cool it is to drink

role - the function, position or purpose that someone or something has in a situation, organisation, society or relationship บทบาท
role model - a person whose good actions and behaviour (show that they are a good example for others to follow in such situations)

act as a role model for others

labour union - an organisation that works for workers (trying to get them better pay and benefits such as medical insurance)
the company's labour union.

enforce - to make sure laws are obeyed
prohibitions - restrictions; things that you cannot do (not allowed to do) according to the rules or the law การห้าม, ข้อห้าม
enforce prohibitions

drinking prohibitions - rules that say that you cannot drink (or when or in what situations you can't drink)
enforce drinking prohibitions
it is difficult for the law to enforce drinking prohibitions in factories

enforcement - making sure a law is obeyed and punishing people if it is not obeyed บังคับใช้กฎหมาย
enforcement is very loose

support - help and agree with สนับสนุน
although many workers support it

proposed - suggested (but not yet chosen or decided upon)
position - an official opinion or view on some issue มุมมอง, สถานะ

proposed a position
Many times we've proposed this position in letters

measure - an action taken to solve a particular problem มาตรการ
have measure in place - have made some rule or action that is helping to solve a problem

factories already have this measure in place

notice - to see that something exists or happens (such as a problem) สังเกตเห็น
no one will notice
do that no one will notice

beverage - a drink of any type เครื่องดื่ม
beverage bottles

alcoholic beverage bottles
non-alcoholic beverage bottles

some put their alcohol in non-alcoholic beverage bottles so no one will notice

consumption - using, eating or drinking something การบริโภค
alcohol consumption

ban - when something is not allowed; same as "prohibition" (verb) ห้าม, สั่งห้าม; (noun) คำสั่งห้าม, การห้าม
nationwide - throughout a whole country ทั่วทั้งประเทศ  ทั่วประเทศ

a law banning alcohol sales and consumption at factories nationwide

efficiency - waste little time, energy and resources in doing a task (minimize time, energy and resources in performing a task)  การทำงานอย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ คุ้มค่าเวลาและใช้พลังงานหรือต้นทุนในการผลิตน้อย เพื่อให้ได้ผลผลิตมาก
to increase work efficiency

violators - people who break a law or rule ผู้ละเมิด

maximum - the most possible ที่สูงสุด ที่มากที่สุด
fine - an amount of money that you have to pay because you have broken the law ค่าปรับ
maximum fine

jail term  - the period of time that a person must live in jail or prison as punishment for a crime they did

violators facing a maximum fine of 10,000 baht and/or a jail term of up to six months

survey - gathering information about what people think about different subjects (public opionion) by asking large numbers of people questions and counting their answers, and then using statistics, graphs, and tables to present results (See Wikipedia) การสำรวจความเห็น

conduct survey  - do a survey
a survey found .... - a survey determines ...

aged - อายุ
workers aged 16-45

A survey last year of 604 manufacturing workers aged 16-45 conducted by the Women's and Men's Progressive Movement Foundation found ...

rank -จัดลำดับ, จัดแถว, จัดตำแหน่ง
ranks just behind

transport - to move people or things from one place to another ขนส่ง
transport costs

spending on alcohol ranks just behind food and transport costs

a quarter - 25%
a quarter of them pay more than 1,000 baht a month for alcohol

campaign (noun) - การรณรงค์
campaigned on this issue - campaign for รณรงค์เพื่อ
the company campaigned on this issue

relationship - ความสัมพันธ์
improve - to make better ทำให้ดีขึ้น

the relationship between workers and management has started to improve

quality - คุณภาพ
the quality of our products

alcohol consumption affected the quality of our products

disagreements - ความไม่เห็นด้วย, ความคิดเห็นไม่ตรงกัน, ความขัดแย้งกัน
caused many disagreements...

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