BANGKOK (NNT) – Minister of Labor, Suchart Chomklin has stepped forward to reveal that the PM did not overlook the Labor Protection Act drafted by the Progressive Movement group, as Mr Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, head of the Progressive Movement group had posted on his Facebook. The Minister also said that in keeping with the process of consideration, the authorities are currently looking at its possibilities and practicability.
The Department of Labor Protection and Welfare has read the draft and announced that most of the details are no different from the current act, but some proposals like reducing the number of workdays to five days a week, with a two day break every week, depend on the agreement between employees and employers. Furthermore, only Singapore has adopted the 5 working days and 2 days off system, while the other nine countries in ASEAN including Thailand, follow the 6 workdays and 1 day off system.
Meanwhile, the proposal revoking the daily payment system is considered inappropriate for Thailand, especially for SMEs; being the largest employer in the country means they would have to pay more than the value of work they receive from their employees. However, the Thai government and other countries insist that every business must pay no less than the minimum wage. This agreement was also approved by Labor committees.
The other Progressive Movement proposal was to increase the minimum wage. This is a matter that all parties agreed to, but first they have to consider the current economic situation because changing wage rates means a serious impact on both Thai and international employers. All parties are required to be more careful at present, as the world is recovering from the COVID-19 slowdown, and the state needs to maintain the level of employment.
