Advocates Spotlight Crucial Concerns
Working folks and campaigners in the heart of Bangkok took a stand on Labour Day Thursday, demanding fairer treatment and stronger protections for employees.
Parades filled the streets, emblazoned with slogans and banners, shedding light on critical labor issues, particularly fair wage adjustments and paid maternity leave.
At the bustling Lan Khon Muang in front of City Hall, Panus Thailuan, president of the National Congress of Thai Labour, unveiled a nine-point plan, promising improved working conditions for laborers.
Key recommendations included legislating a risk insurance fund to ensure job security, abolishing income tax on severance pay, hiking the minimum old-age pension, and amending labor laws for fairer overtime pay.
Other demands included upgrading the Labor Safety Division to a full department, creating a ministry-appointed working group to monitor progress, and addressing longstanding cases of unpaid severance pay.
Panus asserted that the foremost essential demand was the establishment of the risk insurance fund, which would guard workers against unjust terminations and unrecompensed severance pay.
His arguments stemmed from repeated cases of companies ceasing operations without compensating their workers, like the notorious Yarnapund Public Co Ltd, which owed employees approximately 400 million baht in severance pay.
Labour Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn acknowledged these demands, stressing that many were already under review. He emphasized the government's commitment to formulating proactive policies that offer comprehensive protection to both domestic and foreign workers, ensuring employment and income security.
According to Mr. Phiphat, the ministry adheres to the principle that "everyone deserves a job, skills, security, and a good quality of life." On Labor Day, the ministry organized numerous activities aimed at workers, including free medical checkups, flu vaccinations, and a job fair featuring over 174,000 vacancies.
One of the key demands for this year's Labour Day centered on the establishment of a risk insurance fund to safeguard workers' rights in the face of unexpected business closures and unpaid severance packages. This proposal calls for employers to contribute to the fund, acting as a financial safety net for employees.
While the government has yet to implement specific measures for the risk insurance fund, there is recognition of labor reform efforts, such as revisions to the Labor Ministry’s Ministerial Regulation No. 7 to ensure fair overtime pay for monthly-salaried workers. The ministry aims to address this overtime pay discrepancy by June 2025 [1][2].
In addition to the risk insurance fund, activists have advocated for tax exemptions on severance pay to further protect workers [3]. The establishment of the risk insurance fund remains a significant objective in the ongoing fight for stronger workers' rights in Thailand.
- The nine-point plan presented by Panus Thailuan in Bangkok's Lan Khon Muang included the proposal for a risk insurance fund, aimed at providing job security and safeguarding workers against unjust terminations and unpaid severance pay.
- One of the key demands for this year's Labour Day in Bangkok was the establishment of a risk insurance fund, with employers contributing to the fund to act as a financial safety net for employees.
- In response to these demands, the Labour Minister in Thailand acknowledged the need for proactive policies that offer comprehensive protection, including the potential implementation of a risk insurance fund.
- The upgraded Labor Safety Division, if created, would monitor progress and address longstanding cases of unpaid severance pay, addressing a critical issue in Thailand's workplace-wellness and health-and-and wellness policies.
- The Yarnapund Public Co Ltd case, where employees were owed approximately 400 million baht in severance pay, highlights the importance and urgency of enacting fairer severance policies and legislations to protect workers' rights.
- Policymakers are also considering tax exemptions on severance pay as a means to further protect employees and promote a fairer political and policy-and-legislation environment for workers in Thailand, garnering attention in the general news.
