photo: © George Mann

Nikon photographers around the world need to dig a little deeper to keep the valued employees of Nikon Thailand on the payroll. All the Nikon Digital SLR cameras (and most Nikkor DX lenses) except the highest end Nikon D3 model are currently manufactured in Thailand. It makes sense that these high priced cameras and lenses are among the first luxury items to see a slow down in sales, during a world wide financial crisis, but please make a few Nikon purchases for the upcoming holiday season (from a link on this website if possible) and save somebody at Nikon Thailand their job.

“The firm (Nikon) said a drop in orders from the United States, Japan, and Canada prompted the cuts.”

Nikon Digital SLR Camera Deals for the Holidays



photo: © George Mann

Update November 24 :

Sacked staff to rally over low payoff

AYUTTHAYA : Subcontracting workers laid off by camera giant Nikon (Thailand) Co will rally at provincial hall today. The rally was announced by Nikon’s labour union chairman Thongchai Sithidet yesterday as many workers, who began to receive compensation from their subcontractor firms, found they had been paid less than they expected.

The workers claimed they were given a payout of only two months’ salary, even though labour law demands employers give three months’ pay to contract workers. ”We want fair treatment,” said Mr Thongchai.

He said the company should have told staff of the lay-offs in advance, to give them time to look for work.

On Friday, the company dismissed 1,500 subcontracting workers who had been with the firm for less than one year. The firm said a drop in orders from the United States, Japan, and Canada prompted the cuts.

”I don’t know where to work. My hometown has no jobs,” said sacked employee Wilai Prasertsuk, from Suphan Buri.

She said her redundancy package of 6,580 baht was not enough to live on in troubled economic times.

Nikon (Thailand) Co, located in the Rojana Industrial Estate in Uthai district, is not the only company to suffer the effects of the global financial crisis.

Earlier, nine electronic parts manufacturers in the province closed and laid off more than 1,000 staff.

Ayutthaya governor Preecha Kamolbut expects another 40,000 workers will lose their jobs next month as more factories face a drop in orders from abroad.

Most workers come from other provinces because there are no jobs in their hometowns, he said. Ayutthaya has more than 300,000 workers in 1,700 factories.

photo: © George Mann

From the Bangkok Post: Japanese camera firm slashes 2,600 jobs

Nikon (Thailand) Company Limited laid off 2,600 sub-contract workers without any advance notice, citing lower purchase orders.

The Japanese camera company, based in Rojana Industrial Estate in Ayutthaya province, has about 15,000 employees, and 5,000 of those are sub-contract workers.

According to the company’s statement, it did not want to shoulder more burdens as purchase orders from foreign countries, mainly from the United States, Japan and Canada plummeted.

The company however gave its remaining employees the chance to work for the time being.



photo: © George Mann

An earlier report from AFP: Nikon lays off 1,500 in Thailand as demand slumps

BANGKOK (AFP) – Japanese camera-maker Nikon has laid off 1,500 sub-contractors in Thailand, a government official confirmed Saturday, after a fall in demand put down to the global financial crisis.

Amporn Nitisiri, director general of the Labour ministry’s labour protection and welfare department, said most of those losing jobs at Nikon had worked at its manufacturing plant for less than a year.

“I have been informed by Nikon’s personnel department that 1,500 sub-contractors have been laid off and the company had paid them compensation,” she told Thai television.

“It’s increasingly drastic this year as there are now 348 companies who have laid off a total of 28,600 workers and we also think it is likely that a further 123 companies may lay off an estimated 56,000 workers,” she said.

Amporn said Nikon’s plant in Ayutthaya, 76 kilometres (47 miles) from Bangkok, was usually staffed by 8,000 permanent staff and 4,000 sub-contractors.

At the same time, Temasek Holdings, Singapore’s investment company, decided to lower the monthly compensations of its senior management executives by about 15 to 25 per cent. According to the company’s forecast, the economy would remain sluggish in 2009 and the year after.