Officials to check on wage hike abuse

The Nation

Authorities to visit employers to ensure compliance

BANGKOK: -- To prepare for D-day for payment of the Bt300 minimum daily wage on April 1 in seven provinces, labour relations officials will visit workplaces to make sure employers comply with the hike.

Employees already earning higher than Bt300 will neither demand more nor stage wage protests, Department of Labour Protection and Welfare (DLPW) director-general Arthit Issamo said yesterday.

During visits to workplaces, DLPW officials will make sure employers have not secretly or openly included other welfare conditions, in monetary value, in the daily wage to absorb their costs, he said.

Arthit also called on employees to improve their performances or increase their skills to make employers feel the hike was worthwhile. He said that lay-offs in workplaces where employers could not afford the hikes would not be in large numbers, as the total earning less than Bt300 across the country was not large. He did not offer a figure.

In Samut Sakhon, one of the seven provinces, officials said the local lay-off situation was not worrying. The Central Administrative Court had not issued injunctions lodged by employers complaining about higher costs and seeking to challenge government policy on the Bt300 minimum pay out.

The chief of the provincial labour office, Arunee Jitpatima, said an ongoing survey of improvements in skills resulting from government-funded career training would be completed soon, and should help to better evaluate the local labour situation.

An owner of a freezer company, Somphong Thuanrungroj, said he'd had to lay off workers from his force of 200 by nearly half because he could not afford to pay the higher wage. He said the local fishery industry might face problems when immigrant workers received their Bt300 and became more selective in their work, giving up difficult and unpleasant tasks such as working on fishing trawler crews.

More fierce competition is anticipated in the fishery industry after increased foreign investment in this sector, he added.

The chairman of well-known Smiling Fish canned sardines and seafoods, Salil Tothabthiang, said increase in price of Pum Pui products was possible following more than 40 per cent of total daily wage paid to his workers, from currently Bt175 to Bt244 after April 1.

He said all raw materials relating to canned fish production would be more expensive. Smiling Fish has prepared for the higher cost and would boost productivity to make up for the higher cost. Salil said he was more worried about immigrant workers, either his employees or workers at most workplaces across the country, turning to other jobs after they get paid Bt300.

-- The Nation 2012-03-27

Arthit also called on employees to improve their performances or increase their skills to make employers feel the hike was worthwhile.

I'm glad for the wage increase, but I hope Arthit really don't believe employees will increase their performance/skills come 1 April as that would be a true April's Fool joke.

"To prepare for D-day for payment of the Bt300 minimum daily wage on April 1 in seven provinces, labour relations officials will visit workplaces to make sure employers comply with the hike."

Sure wish I was a "labour relations" official right now. I could use a little extra pocket money...

Which are the provinces slated for a wage raise April 1? Anybody knows?

Nice to see that he has laid workers off BEFORE the wage hike comes in.

Nice to see that he has laid workers off BEFORE the wage hike comes in.

I think we all anticipated layoffs as a result of this increase, as well as a corresponding increase in the rate of inflation. These two results will hit the people who can least afford it. What is unfolding now is the reality of the situation.

So ,the govt decides to increase minimum wages: employers p*ssed off

and then some official tells the workers to improve their efficiency and skills: employees p*ssed off

The only good thing...........there will be more PorDor91 and PorDor 1 with employees which have to pay income tax.

Which are the provinces slated for a wage raise April 1? Anybody knows?

Their wages go up to, but only to around 240 baht; then come early 2013 they are suppose to go to 300 baht...kinda of a two step process for them.

Which are the provinces slated for a wage raise April 1? Anybody knows?

Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi and Phuket.

Which are the provinces slated for a wage raise April 1? Anybody knows?

Thank you for the information.

Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi and Phuket.

Interesting that Chonburi was not included in the list of provinces scheduled for a wage increase.

Employees already earning higher than Bt300 will neither demand more nor stage wage protests

So I'm a supervisor earning 300 baht/day. My workers earn 200. On April 1st they all get a wage hike to 300 (the same as me) and I'm not allowed to demand an increase...Some April 1st joke that is. I resign as supervisor and ask to be re-employed as worker. <deleted> the responsibility if I ain't gonna be paid for it....

Which are the provinces slated for a wage raise April 1? Anybody knows?

http://www.mol.go.th/en/employee/interesting_information/6319

Here's the link to the english version of the wage scale across the country. But all this would be muted as the plan so far is for the wage to be 300 nation wide 1 Jan 2556 (2013)

The main problem with this so far is in the service sector, which has "service charge'. Will it be included as wage? So far there's no definite answer, it's all conditional. Really messed up.

Can see lots of SME going belly up, if it's go up to 300 nation wide.

Employees already earning higher than Bt300 will neither demand more nor stage wage protests, Department of Labour Protection and Welfare (DLPW) director-general Arthit Issamo said yesterday.

Right...