Delays at Bangkok Airport due to THAI ground staff strikes
A strike by Thai Airways International (THAI) ground staff causes delays to several flights at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.
On the strike Bangkok airport began on Friday in protest of THAI's board of directors' decision to pay a promised bonus for only one month and to limit salary increases to 4%.
Union president Jamsri Sukchoterat today urged ground crews to continue the strike until THAI complies with their demands. The union wants a two-month bonus and a maximum salary increase of 7,5%.
Flight delays
Today, delays have been reported from both THAI and other airlines as all THAI ground crews have stopped working to join the strike.
Transport Minister Chatchart Sithipan said that the situation is unacceptable and that he has ordered THAI to immediately hold talks with the striking ground staff. He warned that if the passengers of the airport are affected, severe sanctions would be imposed against the strikers.
So far the delays are not too bad: some flights depart about 10-15 minutes later than normal.
Thailand's airport authority reported that the main cause of the delays is not the strike, but bad weather abroad.
Source: Bangkok Post
Finally, the Thais revolt over their salary. Much more needs to be done.
Running behind a red or yellow shirt and being used as a plaything for all corrupt politicians does not yield anything. Fight for your own existence and claim reward for it.
J. Jordan.
This is the result of several years of doing little or nothing about salaries. Because a requirement of a 7% salary increase and a 2 month bonus can hardly be seen as a “normal” requirement IF work had been done more systematically in recent years.
In my opinion, it also plays a role that as of January 1st, the minimum daily wage has been increased by 50% to TBH 300. Quite apart from such an idiotic one-time increase, the consequence is that those who already received TBH 1 as of January 1st. p/d deserved to feel deprived. And I just think that there are quite a few people among Thai Air's ground staff who now earn TBH 300 -TBH 300 p/d.
I think this is the beginning of a turbulent period. The idea of the government was: increase the minimum daily wage by 50% and then that group will get more prosperity!? The snowball (rising food prices, rents, etc.) has either not been foreseen or has been quietly concealed. Dom mi because everyone wants a pay rise one way or another. Everything will therefore become permanently (considerably) more expensive.
It is high time for a longer-term policy. And with a little more gradualism (50% in one go cannot be afforded by any company and not even 1% + 7 months bonus either. Unless this increase in production costs is largely passed on to customers).