Thai labour groups demand risk fund and overtime pay reform
Labour organisations in Thailand have presented nine demands on Labour Day, highlighting the necessity for increased overtime pay and the establishment of a risk insurance fund for workers.
Panus Thailuan, President of the National Congress of Thai Labour, identified the creation of a risk insurance fund as the most critical demand. This fund aims to protect workers from unfair dismissals and unpaid severance packages, addressing recurring instances where employers close businesses without compensating employees.
Panus suggested that this fund could be established through amendments to labour protection laws, drawing contributions from employers to secure employee compensation in the event of business closures.
A significant demand is the revision of the Labour Ministry’s Ministerial Regulation No. 7 from 1998, ensuring that monthly salaried employees receive 1.5 times their wage for overtime, aligning with rates for daily-wage workers. The ministry has acknowledged this concern and committed to finalising the amendment by June.
Additional demands include the freedom of association and collective bargaining rights, tax exemptions on final lump-sum payments up to one million baht for dismissed employees, inclusion of state enterprise employees in the social security system, a minimum pension of 5,000 baht, lifetime healthcare for retirees, rigorous enforcement of labour protections, and enhanced safety standards for workers.
The groups also advocated for a task force to oversee the government’s progress in addressing these demands, reported Bangkok Post.
In parallel, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) called upon the government to safeguard the rights of diverse worker categories, including formal, informal, migrant, and service sector employees, as well as gig economy workers.
The NHRC highlighted ongoing issues such as wage theft, exclusion from social security, and discrimination affecting these groups.
Similarly, Phuket’s top officials are urging business owners to get serious about social security, or risk leaving their workers in the lurch and violating the law.
The Phuket Social Security Office is pushing for greater awareness of its services and benefits, reminding employers that proper registration and contributions aren’t just red tape – they’re crucial financial lifelines for workers.
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