Thailand KFC Faces Employee Lawsuit For Unfair Practices

[meelousee]

Current data from BOI Thailand Listed in "Cost of Doing Business in Thailand.

"The minimum wage in Thailand is currently 206 baht per day in Bangkok and slightly less in the provinces."

[seriouseats]

Capitalism at its worst.

The salaries and conditions suck, but the employees are probably still dong better than they would at most Thai restaurants or businesses.

Nah 7k is the normal salary in a restaurant and free food(better than KFC)

Even at central today i saw 7000 for pizza company and some nice soup restaurant. It also said something about benefits in thai and a 500baht bonus

[RedNIvar]

KFC is not to be blamed. These two should complain about the Thai government. Thailand's minimum wage is about 180B/day for a 10 hour work day. KFC is paying above the minimum wage. Everyone who is converting their salaries into USD and finding it unfair should look around and compare these salaries to all other fastfood outlets. These workers make more than they would working in most other places. I doubt McD, PizzaHut, or Subway is paying any different than KFC.

I do agree with Kuffki, these two are trying to take advantage of KFC and make a quick buck.

[NovaBlue05]

Is it me or does Colonel Sanders look Chinese?

With all that family mingling that goes on in Kentucky, they could look like just about anything

[SAffer]

Price of KFC in Bangkok about 130 baht

Price is KFC in New Zealand 140 Baht

Wages for staff in New Zealand $13 hour = 290 baht an hour

Wages for staff in Bangkok 27 baht an hour

KFC, restaurant brands in New Zealand still make a profit when they pay 10 times more in wages than thailand and charge the same price

Also the chicken is no doubt sourced cheaper here too

I am a capitalist but when I see the disgusting super profits these businessmen make while paying their staff nothing so they can buy their latest merc to show their friends

it makes me want to be a socialist

Same goes for McD.

As long as their is cheap supply of labour in Thailand the chinese will continue to make massive profits

Yeah man, I work for a Thai company, and we do engineering work. I am involved in co-ordinating our projects and I get to see first-hand how management take huge profits and give the technicians and engeneers very, very little indeed.

Overtime is expected, but not paid.

This country is really in the dark ages when it comes to labour practices, and the rich or 'elite' just expect more and more.

We could easily pay our workers more, because foreign owned competitors pay their workers more than we do and still make a profit.

It makes me want to be sick, because I sometimes feel like I am part of this exploitation.... then I remember my own salary, and clearly I am not!

[dunkin2012]

how much do the other companies pay for minimum wage?

in Thailand, some don't pay you that much. From my point of view, KFC gives them the average payments for food/drink industry (without bias). All others don't provide transport after work and even no free meals. however, we should look at the heap annually profits from the firm.

How much will the company be poorer if they give their own staffs good working environment and conditions? - Nope , don't pay attention.

Do they want royalty from their staffs? - Nope , don't care

They can follow the labor market trend in Thailand but is it the good way of treating people in such?.

if all other restaurants pay their staffs as low as that why does KFC have to follow?. Can't it be different?

I can sense what the feeling of these people of being exploited. Cum 'on treat them good and in return they will work for you with quality. for me, I've never been to KFC for several yrs and I don't wanna eat their chickens, very young + full of chemicals. i'm really against this unfair business.....

[khaowong1]

I suppose Toyota employees should also get a brand new car for free!

Forced to eat noodles ??? I doubt anyone forced them. Do not like noodles go buy what you like!

Left overs food, as in unsold food! How is that leftovers??? Why should company put up a banquet for the staff?

Travel allowance? Is that a joke? Do not like to work or finish late, find another job!

Were paid ONLY 27 baht per hour?? Well that's ONLY the salary in Thailand . Are employees brain surgeons? Or highly educated staff ??

There is nothing unfair in removing those who disturb company operations. They used company time and money for their own agenda, further more they did not contact the management to voice their concerns prior to creating a problem .

If you ask me, nothing but 2 gold diggers trying to make some money.

KFC is a business and profits it makes is not an employees business . If employee has a problem with company profits, they are welcome to open their own.

Wow, 1 free meal a day and transportation allowance. wonder if they are hiring farangs? Forced to eat noodles, how many Thai's you know that DON'T eat noodles 2 or 3 times a day. They will go way out of their way to find a noodle stall. Any job that brings in more than 5,000 baht a month is a durn good job.

[cdnvic]

Deleted some racist garbage and won't tolerate any more.

[brianb1944]

Kuffki, who are you? You call people who make 27 baht per hour, gold diggers? Travel allowance would be fair, if they take the bus, that is two hours work. The bus, bet you would take a taxi Kuffki, gold digger.

Complainants not on 27 baht, they are (were) both area managers with a staff of 900, and presumably a comensurate salary. Probably gonna extort a percentage of any pay rise from staff, also possibly selling jobs.

[KeyserSoze01]

Next thing you know, they'll be organizing unions.

Let them eat cake.

[kuffki]

I suppose Toyota employees should also get a brand new car for free!

Forced to eat noodles ??? I doubt anyone forced them. Do not like noodles go buy what you like!

Left overs food, as in unsold food! How is that leftovers??? Why should company put up a banquet for the staff?

Travel allowance? Is that a joke? Do not like to work or finish late, find another job!

Were paid ONLY 27 baht per hour?? Well that's ONLY the salary in Thailand . Are employees brain surgeons? Or highly educated staff ??

There is nothing unfair in removing those who disturb company operations. They used company time and money for their own agenda, further more they did not contact the management to voice their concerns prior to creating a problem .

If you ask me, nothing but 2 gold diggers trying to make some money.

KFC is a business and profits it makes is not an employees business . If employee has a problem with company profits, they are welcome to open their own.

wow ... impressively inhuman .... somewhere I PITY YOU FOR BEING SO COLD HEARTED.

What is cold hearted? this is nothing but normal regular wage and life in Thailand. You want cold hearted, see what salary Burmese get working in Thailand. 5000 baht per month for 12-14 hour days, 7 days per week.

KFC being paid normal minimum wage, just like KFC pays in any other country in the world.

If minimum wage in Thailand is 27 baht, this is what they get. If minimum wage in Oz $6 this is what they get there.

Yes KFC prices are almost the same as in the West, but thats business!

Also keep in mind that while in the West they need 5 people per shift, in Thailand they have 25.

PS. I do not need pity, better save your pity for the animals in Thailand

[gemguy56]

What would Colonel Sanders be thinking.

My company is making loads of money or my employees should be happy making minimum wages.

The company can afford to pay the workers more money and attract employees that will stay with the company.

But dont hold your breath.

Here in Thailand they pay the workers as little as possible while trying to maximise profits...same as most busineses in most countries.

Here in Thailand the plight of the workers usually falls on deaf ears and the management commonly takes offence to any criticism of how THEY run the company.

The right to protest about working conditions and resolve the injustices often perpetrated by employers is not part of how Thai society works.

Labour relations, as a movement, is nearly non existant here in Thailand and most of it is met with lip service with no substance...the Thai way.

I hope they can get better wages and better hours and better conditions and be happier workers and hopefully more productive.

It is a 2 way street.....the corporations need workers and the workers need the corporations...but we all know the corporations in Thailand are in a position to hire and fire at will while the workers have to take what ever they can get and there is nearly no recourse for an employee.

I like that the workers have filed complaints about the company and their grievances have become public.

Sharing in the wealth is a important part of what labour movements are all about.

[khaowong1]

I suppose Toyota employees should also get a brand new car for free!

Forced to eat noodles ??? I doubt anyone forced them. Do not like noodles go buy what you like!

Left overs food, as in unsold food! How is that leftovers??? Why should company put up a banquet for the staff?

Travel allowance? Is that a joke? Do not like to work or finish late, find another job!

Were paid ONLY 27 baht per hour?? Well that's ONLY the salary in Thailand . Are employees brain surgeons? Or highly educated staff ??

There is nothing unfair in removing those who disturb company operations. They used company time and money for their own agenda, further more they did not contact the management to voice their concerns prior to creating a problem .

If you ask me, nothing but 2 gold diggers trying to make some money.

KFC is a business and profits it makes is not an employees business . If employee has a problem with company profits, they are welcome to open their own.

WELL SAID,, if the thais was not in such a BIG RUSH TO BE LIKE SOME WESTERN COUNTRY'S they would appreciate the Extra Monies to help their families... but their a greatest GREED level is at the very bottom of the economic latter.. I call it BAR GIRL FEVER.. a lot of people think the west is SO rich... they dint realize KFC in USA is designed for High School and college Kid living at home with parents..Thais think of it as a High paying Fortune 500 company...LOL.. all they want is a NEW Home an a Stupid Foreigner to buy it.. CASE CLOSE!!

Thai's thinking it's a High paying Fortune 500 company, I love it. Would you like me to send some photos of the people working at KFC here in the U.S... I guarantee, they all are almost to a person under 20.

[kuffki]

Capitalism at its worst.

The salaries and conditions suck, but the employees are probably still dong better than they would at most Thai restaurants or businesses.

Nah 7k is the normal salary in a restaurant and free food(better than KFC)

Even at central today i saw 7000 for pizza company and some nice soup restaurant. It also said something about benefits in thai and a 500baht bonus

You may want to go back and check again, but this time take someone Thai speaking with you.

[GeorgeO]

I suppose Toyota employees should also get a brand new car for free!

Forced to eat noodles ??? I doubt anyone forced them. Do not like noodles go buy what you like!

Left overs food, as in unsold food! How is that leftovers??? Why should company put up a banquet for the staff?

Travel allowance? Is that a joke? Do not like to work or finish late, find another job!

Were paid ONLY 27 baht per hour?? Well that's ONLY the salary in Thailand . Are employees brain surgeons? Or highly educated staff ??

There is nothing unfair in removing those who disturb company operations. They used company time and money for their own agenda, further more they did not contact the management to voice their concerns prior to creating a problem .

If you ask me, nothing but 2 gold diggers trying to make some money.

KFC is a business and profits it makes is not an employees business . If employee has a problem with company profits, they are welcome to open their own.

wow ... impressively inhuman .... somewhere I PITY YOU FOR BEING SO COLD HEARTED.

I agree.

Are we really supposed to take Kuffki's remarks as serious comment?

The attempted analogy between bus fares for KFC employees and a free car for Toyota employees just beggars belief. Let's say we're talking about a Camry at over THB1.2 million. It would a KFC employee 20 years to earn that sort of money on their current wage, ergo, if a Toyota employee were to similarly give 20 years faithful service to the company, yeah sure, why not reward them with a car.

However, we digress, the issue is whether THB 27 per hour for KFC employees is morally acceptable, and I would suggest that it is not.

[brianb1944]

WELL SAID,, if the thais was not in such a BIG RUSH TO BE LIKE SOME WESTERN COUNTRY'S they would appreciate the Extra Monies to help their families... but their a greatest GREED level is at the very bottom of the economic latter.. I call it BAR GIRL FEVER.. a lot of people think the west is SO rich... they dint realize KFC in USA is designed for High School and college Kid living at home with parents..Thais think of it as a High paying Fortune 500 company...LOL.. all they want is a NEW Home an a Stupid Foreigner to buy it.. CASE CLOSE!!

Thai's thinking it's a High paying Fortune 500 company, I love it. Would you like me to send some photos of the people working at KFC here in the U.S... I guarantee, they all are almost to a person under 20.

Same in Oz, most staff are casual juniors, when they turn 18 and their wage jumps, they are no longer rostered on, (cant be sacked, but dont have to be given work)

[FOODLOVER]

Had to "Force" them to eat instant noodles? I call BS!

Let me help you grasp this translation, forced as in all they can afford. Instant noodles are inexpensive. No one held a gun to an employee's head. figurative not literal.

Let me help you grasp this as well.( Without the condescending bull shit) They applied for this job. KFC did not force them to work there. KFC did not hunt them down and say you must work for this amount of money. I have worked in the restaurant biz all over the world for 25 years and every one gets a meal and there are no leftovers. Dont like it get out! Dont apply and then whine about the farang making so much money or the Chinese, holy cow. Its every bodies fault but the staffs. They are being trained in an entry level position and are younger Thais. This is job is designed for uneducated people to get a job and have pocket money. It is not designed to raise a family. Staff wanting a payout from the man, no doubt. Ever wonder why it takes five times the amount of staff here than any where else. Maybe that's why pay is so little because staff is so week. Employee meals are a bonus unless written into the work contract which probably is because the Thai government makes it so. Ever try to fire a bad Thai employee? Even with due cause you have to pay them for 2 months salary. They steal from you and you fire them , You have to pay as they run to the employment office and cry about being fired and "no one told them they weren't supposed to steal"!. The government and my lawyers tell me i still must pay!" Farang never win in emlpoyee termination hearing"! It has happened many, many times. The cost of employee theft is exorbitant as well. There are many out side jobs that they can consider that dont have air con and the such. Pay is less as well.To say they are not happy with their work environment, hand me a tissue

[SabaiBKK]

I suppose Toyota employees should also get a brand new car for free!

Forced to eat noodles ??? I doubt anyone forced them. Do not like noodles go buy what you like!

Left overs food, as in unsold food! How is that leftovers??? Why should company put up a banquet for the staff?

Travel allowance? Is that a joke? Do not like to work or finish late, find another job!

Were paid ONLY 27 baht per hour?? Well that's ONLY the salary in Thailand . Are employees brain surgeons? Or highly educated staff ??

There is nothing unfair in removing those who disturb company operations. They used company time and money for their own agenda, further more they did not contact the management to voice their concerns prior to creating a problem .

If you ask me, nothing but 2 gold diggers trying to make some money.

KFC is a business and profits it makes is not an employees business . If employee has a problem with company profits, they are welcome to open their own.

wow ... impressively inhuman .... somewhere I PITY YOU FOR BEING SO COLD HEARTED.

What is cold hearted? this is nothing but normal regular wage and life in Thailand. You want cold hearted, see what salary Burmese get working in Thailand. 5000 baht per month for 12-14 hour days, 7 days per week.

KFC being paid normal minimum wage, just like KFC pays in any other country in the world.

If minimum wage in Thailand is 27 baht, this is what they get. If minimum wage in Oz $6 this is what they get there.

Yes KFC prices are almost the same as in the West, but thats business!

Also keep in mind that while in the West they need 5 people per shift, in Thailand they have 25.

PS. I do not need pity, better save your pity for the animals in Thailand

sorry but the minimum monthly wage in thailand is 6500 baht , the article mentions "part time" for 20 hours minimum ( yikes)... its just authorized slavery and i do not live in burma at the moment and the article is about KFC enslaving THAI people for pension funds benefits.

sorry i think my priority is human beings over animals .... i'm not Eric Bahrt

[metisdead]

An inflammatory post and reply to it has been removed from view.

A post made using all CAPS has been removed as well, turn off the Caps Lock when posting.

[skippybangkok]

After having run a shop myself ( not KFC ), am less considerate. From our experience, at that level of employee, if its not bolted down or nailed to the wall, they will steal it. Could write a book on all the schemes, some very innovative, on how to swindle money.

[Fatboysrule]

I rarely post on this forum and can't claim to know what is true or false, right or wrong in this case. However saying that workers should not have joined KFC if they did not like the wage is a little unfair I think. It is not like there is a great choice for unskilled workers in Thailand. I think it is a case of work where you can find honest work. I applaud them for at least working in legitimate jobs.

I believe all these KFC workers knew what the wages were when they went to work and i also believe they knew the benefits so...........whats the problem? If they do not like the deal quit. Unions have ruined the west and looks like it might start in Thailand.

[ginjag]

I suppose Toyota employees should also get a brand new car for free!

Forced to eat noodles ??? I doubt anyone forced them. Do not like noodles go buy what you like!

Left overs food, as in unsold food! How is that leftovers??? Why should company put up a banquet for the staff?

Travel allowance? Is that a joke? Do not like to work or finish late, find another job!

Were paid ONLY 27 baht per hour?? Well that's ONLY the salary in Thailand . Are employees brain surgeons? Or highly educated staff ??

There is nothing unfair in removing those who disturb company operations. They used company time and money for their own agenda, further more they did not contact the management to voice their concerns prior to creating a problem .

If you ask me, nothing but 2 gold diggers trying to make some money.

KFC is a business and profits it makes is not an employees business . If employee has a problem with company profits, they are welcome to open their own.

WELL SAID,, if the thais was not in such a BIG RUSH TO BE LIKE SOME WESTERN COUNTRY'S they would appreciate the Extra Monies to help their families... but their a greatest GREED level is at the very bottom of the economic latter.. I call it BAR GIRL FEVER.. a lot of people think the west is SO rich... they dint realize KFC in USA is designed for High School and college Kid living at home with parents..Thais think of it as a High paying Fortune 500 company...LOL.. all they want is a NEW Home an a Stupid Foreigner to buy it.. CASE CLOSE!!

You need to start dating girls other than bargirls.

Step up your game.

5555555555 Ha Ha--farmhand to a lawyer not a lot of difference, who ya kidding. It's an attitude not where you work. I was once told marry a rich old Thai lady, but make sure she has a heart condition. Back on topic==== K.F.C wages are the norm, It's choices isn't it ????? You accept the conditions at the onset, so whats the problem with them, grumble after is crazy---put in your months notice-theres your answer.

[kuffki]

I suppose Toyota employees should also get a brand new car for free!

Forced to eat noodles ??? I doubt anyone forced them. Do not like noodles go buy what you like!

Left overs food, as in unsold food! How is that leftovers??? Why should company put up a banquet for the staff?

Travel allowance? Is that a joke? Do not like to work or finish late, find another job!

Were paid ONLY 27 baht per hour?? Well that's ONLY the salary in Thailand . Are employees brain surgeons? Or highly educated staff ??

There is nothing unfair in removing those who disturb company operations. They used company time and money for their own agenda, further more they did not contact the management to voice their concerns prior to creating a problem .

If you ask me, nothing but 2 gold diggers trying to make some money.

KFC is a business and profits it makes is not an employees business . If employee has a problem with company profits, they are welcome to open their own.

wow ... impressively inhuman .... somewhere I PITY YOU FOR BEING SO COLD HEARTED.

What is cold hearted? this is nothing but normal regular wage and life in Thailand. You want cold hearted, see what salary Burmese get working in Thailand. 5000 baht per month for 12-14 hour days, 7 days per week.

KFC being paid normal minimum wage, just like KFC pays in any other country in the world.

If minimum wage in Thailand is 27 baht, this is what they get. If minimum wage in Oz $6 this is what they get there.

Yes KFC prices are almost the same as in the West, but thats business!

Also keep in mind that while in the West they need 5 people per shift, in Thailand they have 25.

PS. I do not need pity, better save your pity for the animals in Thailand

sorry but the minimum monthly wage in thailand is 6500 baht , the article mentions "part time" for 20 hours minimum ( yikes)... its just authorized slavery and i do not live in burma at the moment and the article is about KFC enslaving THAI people for pension funds benefits.

sorry i think my priority is human beings over animals .... i'm not Eric Bahrt

Sorry but you are incorrect about the minimum wage!

Sorry but you need to read again, BURMESE WORKING IN THAILAND

Sorry but people have hands and legs and heads(which should have a brain) so they can take care of themselves, while animals can not. So again save your pity for the animals.

But since you are such a big heart, next time you visit, make sure to pay taxi drivers Western going rates and the next time you bar fine a girl make sure to compensate her accordingly as in 6000 per hour.

PS. Can you please underline for me where in the article it talks about KFC enslaving THAI people for pension funds benefits.Better yet, perhaps you can tell me when Thailand became a welfare state and started to pay pensions?

[timberboy]

In general i agree with you. Being a person who has worked in the retail food industry[in the usa] while going to school, i took the job, of course it was part-time and paid minimum wage. I certainly didnt get a food allowance or a car home for working a late shift. To expect anything like that is just ridiculous, unless you work for a high end company and work in the executive offices.

I did belong to a union, which provided some medical coverages and some vacation time, for part-time employees. It was better than nothing, which is what i would have gotten if we were not unionized.

These guys clearly were wrong for using the companys communication system, and misrepresenting themselves, to advertise their agenda. What surprises me is that these were regional supervisors, not store managers or lower rank employees.

However i will take the companys "pro-employee" stance with a grain of salt. Companys that require a minimum wage workforce, are only as pro-employee as they need to be, in order to conduct business and make a profit.

I can remember one time at my job during a monthly department meeting, that one of the employees had the gaul to ask the manager what he should expect in the way of company recognition. The managers reply was, "you get your recognition every two weeks [meaning his paycheck].

A business is not a democracy, if you dont like the way things are going you can always walk out the door. Thats been my experience and thats what these guys should have realized as well.

I suppose Toyota employees should also get a brand new car for free!

Forced to eat noodles ??? I doubt anyone forced them. Do not like noodles go buy what you like!

Left overs food, as in unsold food! How is that leftovers??? Why should company put up a banquet for the staff?

Travel allowance? Is that a joke? Do not like to work or finish late, find another job!

Were paid ONLY 27 baht per hour?? Well that's ONLY the salary in Thailand . Are employees brain surgeons? Or highly educated staff ??

There is nothing unfair in removing those who disturb company operations. They used company time and money for their own agenda, further more they did not contact the management to voice their concerns prior to creating a problem .

If you ask me, nothing but 2 gold diggers trying to make some money.

KFC is a business and profits it makes is not an employees business . If employee has a problem with company profits, they are welcome to open their own.

[Member]

99% Thais eat 6b noodles everyday and would absolutely love to eat those totally disgusting KFC chicken everyday so it sounds like total bs.

ps, why are 586 people reading this topic ? What's interesting about it ??

Edited May 10, 2011 by Member

[dunkin2012]

Wow, 1 free meal a day and transportation allowance. wonder if they are hiring farangs? Forced to eat noodles, how many Thai's you know that DON'T eat noodles 2 or 3 times a day. They will go way out of their way to find a noodle stall. Any job that brings in more than 5,000 baht a month is a durn good job.

transportation allowance is not provided for the OP.

i'm so sick of this sort of scrupulous. too correct and exact

30/meal x 3 times/day(BF,L,S) = 90x 30 days = 2,700B

still 5,000-2,700=2,300B left for saving but wait a sec.

accommodation and transport expenses have not been considered yet.

It's hard... very hard, too hard .....

[Thaddeus]

Nobody is forced to work for any employer.

If the working conditions, pay and other benefits are unsatisfactory to them, they may leave and seek employment elsewhere.

Quite, in my entire working history I have never expected to be provided food at my employers expense, or expected them to pay for me to get to and from my place of employment.

If they asked me to wear a crap uniform and perform some form of company song in front of customers however, that may be grounds for a complaint.

[Macmundi]

Basically KFC International will be making a profit out of their name in every country. The rest of the major profits go to the operator or YUM (in Thailand). So if we're paying the same price for KFC in Australia as we do here in Thailand, shouldn't we be getting the same size chicken and the staffs get same wages?

[exbelg]

27 baht per hour and they never get tips like in other restaurant...

we/you can eat so cheap in this country because restaurants earn big money but pays their employees a very very small salary

[majhiggins]

The thing is, like many farangs living here, I love the low cost of living. I sometimes do project management work outside of Thailand in places like the middle east and Africa and I love the fact that for 1 month's salary abroad, I can live comfortably for 1 year in Thailand. If companies start increasing wages tremendously, as happened first in Japan and later in Korea, Thailand will be as expensive to live in as those countries. It's all about what you can get for what you earn. In New York City, you can earn $60,000 a year and not even be able to afford a 1-bedroom apartment.