ผู้วิจัย/Authors: Bomsak Kosiasook

ชื่อเรื่อง/Title: Whiskey is not a normal commodity, it has impact on workers.

แหล่งที่มา/Source: The 3rd National Alcohol Conference "Alcohol : No Ordinary Commodity", 21st-22nd November 2007, Richmond Hotel, Nonthaburi, Page 22.

รายละเอียด / Details:

Dr. Bundit Sornrpaisal, Whiskey Problems Research Center director, speakers and distinguish guests who have the aspiration to bring peace to the society and develop our country to be the moral society. This type of society is the basic for he true democracy which means that the democracy in economic, politic, social and the virtue culture. It will be the future for our next generation which is the hope for all of us. I am very privilege and proud to have opportunity to take part on the campaign to get our society to stop to think, review and take the interest to face the most serious issue that creates the problems at all levels in our society. This is the result of the propaganda of the businessmen who have whiskey trade. Those businessmen are interested only the profit which they exploit the population in our country both men and women with no exception with young people and children who are the victims of all forms of alcohol. The propaganda has done through many organizations, such as radio, newspaper, internet, movie theater and advertisement boards. The businessmen are only interested in profit making, and to make themselves rich. They never think to take any responsibilities of the society. Therefore the topic on “Whiskey is not a normal commodity" is the most interesting and meaningful one. I have been involved with workers who are exploited in the society. They are the majority of our population today. I would like to discuss on the advertisement on alcohol which creates impact on workers. Distinguish guests, you know in the production process under the capitalism in all industries, all companies, all mentioned above need workers’ brains and labor. Workers have the most important roles to play in the production process. They are ones who products, In all industries , without workers’ brains and labor, they will not be any successful. There will be no prosperous of the economic as we see in today society. This is no exception of all types of alcohol. However, workers receive very little shares in return to their services from the production process. In Thailand, there is a wide income gap and it will be even greater gap in the future. Majority of people are poor and very few people are very rich. The National Constitutions both in 1997 and 2007 states that the government had to distribute justice income. However, this is only written in paper. Workers are not received justice wages, no security in life. Moreover, they are under the influence of capitalism which make them to become consumerism. They are the slaves and victims of luxurious. They are the victims of alcohol with all forms and brands. The result of being controlled by alcohol, it has creates impact on workers’ families which in the future it will create even greater impact. Now, I would like to present according these following points: 1. Increase dept: The influence of propaganda on consumerism has tried to create it makes people in the society to become the victims just to make the businessmen to be able to sell their products to make profit without any concern about the result of their mission. They have created the consumerism’s culture, organizing of all types of parties, such as ordinary, new home cerebration, birthday party, class party, religion ceremony, and funeral. All these events mentioned can not happen without alcohol which is the main factor. Workers who are on daily, weekly and monthly wages are the victims of this culture as well. It is necessary things to have just like rich people think. The expense on alcohol is about 10% of the income in general. Worker’s wages are very low already, the income is less then expenditure so why they are in dept. 2. Broken families: Worker’ income is low, but they have work hard, have dept, they are tense, then they drink alcohol to release their tension. They turn to be alcoholism, their health has become deteriorated, being laid off which then have families’ problems. There are violence at home, beating their wives and children. Families are separated, and divorced. This trend has been increased. There is no money to send their children to school and some of the children in the long run will become the society problems. 3. Accident at work: since workers have hang over from heavy drinking the night before they go to work, the next morning, they are not functioning. They are not careful in working therefore accident has happened. Some have lost their hands, fingers, and legs. For those who have worked with heavy machines or electricity sometimes lost their lives. Workers who work in transportation industry, such as transporting goods, or passengers. When they are drunk or hang over can cause accident which can make people lose their lives and properties. We have seen often that some of them are prosecuted and are put in jail. The government the tried to solve the problem by using people taxation to campaign against drunk drivers 4. Physical fighting: Whiskey or alcohol has been used to release tension, sad or happy success or failure, people drink. We often see that people sit in small group drinking and some are going to bars and nightclubs. It has become normal in our society today, workers are no exception. When people are plunk, they lose conscious, they fight without thinking. They may have physical fighting, stabbing, and shooting other people. Some people get hurt, die and some may be prosecuted and put in jail. We can see this in the newspaper everyday and most of those commit such action more than 70% are workers. 5. The Nation loses skill workers: since workers are the majority of the population in the country and they are also victims of alcohol which they receives the influence from propaganda from many channel of media. In addition, there are diseases cause by alcohol, such as liver disease, gastropathy, cancer, and some even cause accident at work and other places as well. The nation loses many skill workers who have created value added to the society. Besides, the government needs to spend a lot of budget to heal those workers which the budget will need to be allocated to pay for medicines and doctors. The government also needs budget to build hospitals which each year it is more than 10,000 trillion baht. This problem causes by alcohol and if we consider the damage over the education opportunity for our next generation, create families problems, the problems for the society, all these damage are immeasurable. This has been created impact on workers. In fact, in all religions, drinking alcohol is prohibited because when one is drunk, it creates sadness therefore, he country administrators or the government has the direct responsibility to create happiness and heal the unwell of the population. The government has said all the time that it wants to build peace, unity and the Thai population needs to live well. They are able to run their live well and able to support themselves. There is on reason why the government should allow alcohol advertisement in public such as through radio stations, and forms in the press media. I would like to urge the government to stop being the whiskey and beer’s businessmen tools. I would like to urge the National Legislative Assembly not passing any laws to support and promote those businessmen who are doing this type of trade. Stop hurting workers and youth. Politicians ethic is the most important. Politicians need to practice what they peach.

Keywords: alcohol, worker, culture, drinking alcohol, businessmen, whiskey

ปีที่เผยแพร่/Year: 2007

Address: The State Railway Workers’ Union of Thailand (SRUT)

Code: 200800171

ISSN/ISBN: 978-974-09-4574-1

Country of publication: Thailand

Language: English

Category: Abstract

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