Labour organizations advance May Day petitions
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Unfair Treatment at the Workplace: Labor Groups Raise Nine Demands
With Labor Day just around the corner, a coalition of labor groups has put forth nine demands to address pressing issues faced by workers in Thailand. Among these demands, the creation of a risk insurance fund and the alignment of overtime pay regulations for monthly salaried workers stand out.
The proposed risk insurance fund aims to safeguard employees from unfair terminations and unpaid severance, an issue starkly demonstrated by the notorious case of Yarnapund Public Co Ltd accumulating a whopping 400 million baht in unpaid severance. The labor groups want it mandated through labor law amendments that employers contribute to this fund, assuring employees would not lose out their hard-earned money should their workplace close shop.
Another pressing matter is addressing the disparity in overtime rates for monthly salaried workers and daily wage workers. Currently, monthly salaried workers are left out, but labor activists are pushing for parity, ensuring they receive 1.5 times their regular wages for overtime work, just like their daily-wage counterparts. The government has acknowledged this issue and promised to finalize amendments by June.
Apart from the mentioned demands, labor advocates are also pushing for freedom of association and collective bargaining rights, tax exemption on severance packages up to one million baht, inclusion of state enterprise employees in the social security system, a minimum pension of 5,000 baht, lifetime healthcare for retirees, stricter enforcement of labor protections, and heightened safety standards for workers. The groups have also requested the formation of a task force to monitor the government's progress in fulfilling these demands.
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed concern for all types of workers, including informal, migrant, and gig economy workers, who continue to grapple with issues like wage theft, exclusion from the social security system, and discrimination.
While the Labor Ministry highlights proactive policies, concrete legislative timelines remain unclear beyond the June 2025 deadline for overtime rule adjustments[1][4]. Let's hope that the government takes these demands seriously and works steadily to create a fair and equitable work environment for everyone.
[1] Labour groups make nine demands as government weighs response
[4] Thailand's labor ministry vows proactive approach to workers' demands
- The labor groups are advocating for a ministerial decree, aiming to secure tax exemptions on severance packages worth up to one million baht.
- To ensure workplace-wellness and health-and-wellness, the groups are urging the government to implement a lifetime healthcare policy for retirees.
- News outlets are reporting that the government is considering implementing stricter policy-and-legislation surrounding workplace safety standards, following the labor groups' demands.
- In the midst of these concerns, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has stressed the need for addressing the discriminatory treatment of informal, migrant, and gig economy workers.
- As the government finalizes amendments to overtime regulations by June, political observers will continue to monitor progress in fulfilling the nine demands raised by labor groups for a fair and equitable workplace environment.
