"No legitimacy" is the term the Thai Pineapple Industry Association (TPIA) has used to describe a letter signed by almost 100 groups around the world that called for an end to processor Natural Fruit's legal actions against worker rights campaigner Andy Hall.

The letter was a plea for the TPIA to call on its president Wirat Piyapornpaiboon - who is the CEO of Natural Fruit - to drop the charges against the Briton, and to work with NGOs and worker groups to address concerns alleged in the Finnwatch report 'Cheap has a High Price'.

However, the association says the letter has "no official signatures", makes allegations without any logical sense and lacks "morality".

"The letter that TPIA's members have now received, when combined with news that TPIA has followed including the media interviews of Mr. Andy Hall, illustrates Mr. Andy Hall's behaviour is in bad faith with an intention to destroy Thailand's economic system and severely impact negatively on business owners," TPIA general secretary Nirut Ruplek said in a letter addressed to State Enterprises Workers' Relations Confederation of Thailand (SERC) general secretary Komsan Tongsiri, to be passed on to the British activist.

Andy Hall with migrant fishermen. Source: Twitter, @atomicalandy

"If Mr. Hall insists in continuing to behave in this manner, businesses affected by Mr. Andy Hall's allegations made without fact will coordinate together to prosecute him further in Thailand's Courts of Justice.

"Any kind of movement that aims to negatively impact on others with a bad intention and in an unethical manner should immediately cease."

Readers can click here for a copy of the letter or here for more on the Andy Hall case, which www.freshfruitportal.com believes is unjust and in violation of the United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

The TPIA highlighted it "should not intervene" in processes concerning the court’s consideration of the civil and criminal charges against Hall, which could include libel and defamation damages of up to US$9.5 million and seven years of jail time.

In a response to the TPIA's comments, Tongsiri said the dissemination of research relating to Natural Fruit's business practices was intended to contribute to addressing or solving challenges facing migrant workers in the pineapple industry.

"For this reason, TPIA should open its mind and ears to the information shared as a means to address challenges regarding migrant workers as this would be beneficial to the sustainable trading success of the TPIA in the future," Tongsiri said.

"TPIA should use this crisis to exchange and converse to ensure positive labour relations together according to the labour relations system that SERC fundamentally adheres to.

"SERC has neither the intention to interrupt the work of TPIA nor damage the reputation of TPIA in any way. However, SERC insists to remain committed to the policy of the SERC executive committee concerning our fight to ensure rights for all workers, both Thai and migrants, with no exceptions including those relating to skin colour, status, ethnicity, language or culture."

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