Southern Industries Oppose 400 Baht Wage Hike, Call for Regional Adjustments

[snoop1130]

 

The Southern Industrial Council firmly opposes the proposed increase of Thailand's minimum wage to 400 baht, advocating for a more nuanced, region-specific approach. Adisorn Tanaengchuan, President of the Southern Industrial Council and executive member of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), voiced concerns ahead of the Labour Wage Committee's meeting today, which aims to discuss the third minimum wage adjustment for 2024.

 

The government’s policy proposes raising the minimum wage to 400 baht from October 1, pending a two-thirds majority vote. Despite resistance from employer representatives, the current administration is pushing forward with the increase. Central to the opposition is the argument that a blanket wage hike would not account for the economic diversity across Thailand's regions.

 

Adisorn highlighted that the industrial sector, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), are already struggling with high electricity and oil costs, not to mention competition from the influx of Chinese products. A universal wage hike to 400 baht could exacerbate these struggles, potentially leading to more factory closures, which have already been on the rise.

 

Adisorn suggested that wage adjustments should consider varying economic conditions and be tailored to different regions and industries. He noted that some sectors, particularly those relying on agricultural outputs with low technology and labour-intensive processes, could accommodate the wage increase more readily than others.

 

 

 

 

The Southern Industrial Council president is urging the government to heed feedback from business representatives, employees, and public agencies. He emphasised that even employees do not uniformly support a nationwide wage increase, advocating instead for region-specific adjustments that better reflect local economic conditions and GDP growth rates.

 

“We want the government to listen to the voices of business representatives, employees, and public agencies. Currently, even employees do not want a blanket 400 baht wage hike across the country,” Adisorn reiterated.

 

In conclusion, the Southern Industrial Council believes that a one-size-fits-all wage policy could lead to unnecessary economic strain and business closures. They call for careful consideration of regional differences and a collaborative approach to ensure the proposed wage adjustments support economic sustainability and growth.

 

File photo for reference only

 

-- 2024-09-20

 

 

[MarkBR]

OMG - 400 baht is tiny amount of money.

[Tropicalevo]

3 minutes ago, MarkBR said:

OMG - 400 baht is tiny amount of money.

Only to rich foreigners.

(Yes, in Thai eyes, all foreigners are rich.)

[MarkBR]

Just now, Tropicalevo said:

Only to rich foreigners.

(Yes, in Thai eyes, all foreigners are rich.)

It would help with the extreme poverty here.  I live in rural Thailand.  Yes, I know all Thais think we are very rich, my partner is Thai, I have this from the horse's mouth.