Wage against the machine: Workers rally at Government house over pay delays

Hundreds of workers gathered in front of Government House yesterday, November 12, voicing frustrations over unpaid wages and seeking government intervention. Approximately 10,000 workers have not received their salaries for the past eight months due to delays from subcontractors involved in a clean fuel project located in Chon Buri.

Members of the Federation of Subcontractors, representing 28 different firms, delivered a formal petition to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Justice Minister Police Colonel Tawee Sodsong and Somkid Chueakong, the Deputy Secretary-General to the Prime Minister for Political Affairs, accepted the petition on behalf of the government.

Thitapat Reewatpatthananan, who serves as the federation’s secretary, articulated the workers’ plight in a public statement. According to Thitapat, the primary contractor—a consortium including Petrofac South East Asia Pte Ltd, Saipem Singapore Pte Ltd, and Samsung E&A (Thailand) Co Ltd—was commissioned by Thai Oil to execute its Clean Fuel Project (CFP) in the Si Racha district. However, this consortium has failed to compensate the subcontractors for their completed work on the oil refinery.

The subcontractors, despite fulfilling their contractual obligations from February until now, have not been compensated for work valued at several billion baht. This financial strain has significantly impacted the livelihoods of more than 10,000 workers involved in the project.

Bangkok Post reported that the problem is exacerbated by the subcontractors’ long-term liquidity issues, stemming from contracts that are deemed unfair. These agreements compel the subcontractors to continue their work, even when the primary contractor fails to make the necessary payments.

Some subcontractors face the additional pressure of having to continue operations without payment to avoid potential lawsuits for damages, said Thitapat.

“We urge the government to help in this matter to alleviate the suffering of our 10,000 workers who have not yet received their wages for eight months.”

In related news, a significant group of employees from the Tang Hua Seng department store in Thonburi, Bangkok, gathered to demand overdue salaries, some of which have been delayed for up to 15 months, following a sudden closure announcement.