Unfair Dismissal

[Joburg]

I was working for an international school - quite a famous one on this and other sites - and at the end of my contract told that it won't be renewed. I was however told that I could stay on till Dec/Jan till I have secured myself a new job. But July I was told that they had no position for me and that I will receive my last salary end of July.

I want to claim one month's severance pay (I was working one year) and one month's notice pay.

Where can I find the labour court in Bangkok and what procedures do I need to follow?

Any info???

[Soutpeel]

I was working for an international school - quite a famous one on this and other sites - and at the end of my contract told that it won't be renewed. I was however told that I could stay on till Dec/Jan till I have secured myself a new job. But July I was told that they had no position for me and that I will receive my last salary end of July.

I want to claim one month's severance pay (I was working one year) and one month's notice pay.

Where can I find the labour court in Bangkok and what procedures do I need to follow?

Any info???

Go and have a talk with the labour department branch were your work permit was issued, you generally dont need to go near a "court" to resolve this sort of issue, based on info given, you should get 1 months severance, highly unlikely you will get a months notice pay as well.

[thaiphoon]

Sorry to hear of your situation but I have to agree with Soutpeel - 30 days severance pay is the legal requirement for upto 1 years employment- see attached Link

Edited August 15, 2009 by thaiphoon

[puyaidon]

Due to the rules of the forum, I have not stated any names of any universities but all that follows is true:

I was in the same boat. Last year, May 2008, I was told to go to personnel of my university to sign a new contract as I was over sixty. I read the contract which was in Thai and English. I asked for a copy to get a lawyer to review the Thai as at the very last line, it stated that in the event of any conflict with the language, the Thai would be the legal language. I was refused a copy so then found the personnel director and told him I was going to the president of the university. How can I sign a document in a language that I do not understand, cannot read nor write in that language? They did not care. I did get a copy for my lawyer.

I did sign for one more year but the new rules for over sixty, all universities so they say, says no step raises, no yearly bonuses, and a review of past work would be the norm. No reduction in work, same work as the regularally paid teachers. In reality, a hammer over our heads. Well, in the following March (this past March), I got called in for a letter that said, Thank you but you are no longer needed. Amazing in that instructors older than I got renewed and I didn't. Well, part of the letter said that I would receive my last month's pay, one month's severance pay, and one month's special severance pay for notifying me on short notice. I did get the money.

It should be noted now that teachers/instructors do not fall under the labor court anymore according to my lawyer. I would now have had to go to a civil court for any redress or court action. King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) did away with slavery here in Thailand and the private universities have reinstituted it. The new agreement has even reached a friend of mine in another private university. I have the name and date somewhere but can't find it now. He is under the gun now and a lot older than I.

You are hired by whim. In our case, the foreign instructors were among the highest paid for their native speaking abilities. In our case, the management think they are clever in hiring cheaper local teachers with no experience, just reading the book and boring the students. Quality is not part of the program anymore. One can only think what the future business people will be like in ten years. Bad now, worse in the future.