Much criticism of small increase minimum daily wage
The new minimum daily wage will take effect in just over a day in 69 provinces. The minimum daily wage in Thailand will then increase by 5, 8 or 10 baht after four years.
Experts point out that the meager increase will only have negative consequences in the long term. Workers are particularly disappointed and frustrated about the limited wage increase.
Sunee Chaiyaros of the College of Social Innovation at Rangsit University says workers are not happy with the wage increase. Even the 10 baht increase that applies to Bangkok and neighboring provinces is not enough to offset the rising cost of living.
That also applies to the other provinces where the prices for food and drink are as high as in Bangkok, she says. Sunee believes that the increase mainly benefits companies, the staff cannot do much with it. Many workers barely earn more than the minimum daily wage of 300 baht, even though they already have 20 to 30 years of work experience. This is because employers attach too little importance to their skills and abilities.
Bundit Thanachaisettawut, an employment expert, calls it ironic that the government has not increased the minimum wage for workers in the past four years, but the salaries of civil servants have.
The chairman of the Thai Labor Solidarity Committee is critical of the new increase because it only creates confusion due to the differences between provinces that are in the same economic zone.
Source: Bangkok Post
I really wonder when the Thai will really wake up and realize how crooked everything is in this country.
Although I hope not to be there, because if this displeasure of many bursts…………….
Well that's what you get in a country where no trade union worth mentioning exists and never will exist, if only because the Thai don't want anything to others.
I'm sorry, that's nonsense. Thailand has had many active trade unions, which are documented in the Labor Museum and where their work is honored. Go take a look there:
http://www.bangkok.com/magazine/labour-museum.htm
In the 1976s, Thailand also had a Socialist Party whose chairman was shot dead in February XNUMX.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Party_of_Thailand
Many trade unionists in Thailand did good work, many were killed or 'disappeared'.
Inform yourself before you say anything.
I think Ronny is talking about unions in the present day. Never come across anything noteworthy in the news that indicates an active and playing negotiating partner in discussions about salaries, terms of employment and more. If anything is arranged, it is more from the government than from the front of the working people, employees. There is no point in naming examples from 40 and 50 years ago, a generation ago. But if anyone has knowledge of organized workers' organizations with any influence in Thailand over the last 10 years, they are welcome to report it.
Not just the Thai though. I know a lot of farang who underpay their staff quite a bit. 5 years ago we already paid 12000 Baht in Bangkok for a girl from Myanmar, and even now I hear that there are people who pay 7000 Baht. We now have a girl in Chiang Mai who only comes 1 or 2 days a week and she gets 400 baht for an 8-hour working day. You don't have someone for that in Belgium yet
1 hours.
In our bar Old-Amsterdam on Koh Samet we pay our manager 5% of the daily turnover with a minimum of 350 Baht per day if she does not reach 7000 Baht.
Sometimes that happens in the low season, but the rest of the year she earns a small fortune by Thai standards, and I'm not even talking about the tips jar.
Take it from me that this lady works very hard and has everything in order.
That's why she also gets a nice bonus of 31 Baht on December 10000st !!
Moderator: Please keep the discussion to Thailand.
@ Ronny, Thailand has unions, social services, pensions and healthcare, but (voluntary) contributions and premiums, etc. have to be paid for that, and people don't feel like it. Large companies, with a certain number of employees, are legally obliged to withhold premiums, so these employees are covered against everything. My daughter works in the accounts department of a large company and premiums are deducted from her wages every month. Do some research before making any claims about Thailand.
Another thing, my daughter earns Baht 18,000- p/month clean for a 5 day work week, Monday to Friday. Which is a decent wage in Thailand and is entitled to all Social Security benefits for which she pays premiums.
A few notes:
1. Many Thai people do not work for a salary but their own boss (shop, restaurant, barber shop, lottery seller, market vendor, taxi driver, etc.). There is no minimum wage for this. So only part of the working population 'benefits' from this very small increase;
2. Some employers (I don't know how large) flout the minimum wage because no one controls it or protests;
3. Many employees are unskilled and have learned their trade on the job: some are good, others not so good. It is difficult to determine the quality and to pay accordingly;
4. The Thai economy is sluggish, partly because private spending is lagging behind. A hefty increase in the minimum wage would be a good measure to help the economy (a little).
5. In view of the quality of education, you cannot assume that everyone who has a diploma (at whatever level) is also a qualified employee.
Raising the minimum wage is a vicious circle. Wages up, prices up, Wages up again, prices up again. Prices in Thailand do not go up by percentage, everyone raises their prices what they think, usually by 50% even 100%. Are you talking to the trader or any Thai about percentages, they look at you stupid and lost. E.g. from Bht 100- to 120- is 20% but the Thai says 'don't be so difficult about 20 baht, cheapskate'. Now that I think about it there are many farangs who say the same thing, just browse the different forums.