Poll: 1/3 Of Employers May Lay Off Workers Due To Thai Govt's Minimum Wage Hike

[louse1953]

Will the minimum wage rise also apply to foreign workers, such as those from Burma /Laos etc?

I would say yes if working here legally....

Rice pledge scheme failing, 1/3 of employees dismissed because of minimum wage, schools children not getting their free I-pads....superb goverment in control i must say...suppose the only thing they will get right is bringing Brother #1 back into the fold

Plus the Commerce Ministry has reported that almost 2,800 companies closed down in the first quarter of 2012, a 96% increase from the first quarter of 2011's figure. Meanwhile, the number of new business registration in the first quarter of this year is 5% fewer than last year’s.

Something to do with flood,maybe.

[sparebox2]

I work for a company that pays his Thai wife's relatives over 600 Baht a day for years now and their the one's that are always sick don't show up for work and when they do show up for work they don't do jack !! and they know they will never get fired !! and that pisses all the other good hard working staff off to see this pushed in their face every day !!

Are you working for PTT, KTB or THAI?

[louse1953]

Am I the only one to think that workers do not deserve any salary hike in this country ?

Shouldn't they show more interest and responsability in their work before expecting any salary increase ?

Have you considered how you would feel working for 150/200 baht a day? I'm surprised that Thai people on minimum wage bother to do anything and I'm not surprised that they try and do the least possible! Perhaps a hike in salary might make for a person to work harder? Of course some decent training wouldn't go amiss either!

No offense but it seems that you don't know so much Thai at work...

I could pay them 10 times more in my company but they still wouldn't do anything more and just suddenly disappear as they always do !

You could,but you don't.Try a bit of incentive payment,works for me.You must know 1/2 the Thai work force to make that sweeping statement.

[hellodolly]

Many of the employors are probably looking at the excess/extra employees they have kept on in the past as a quick fix to salary increase. The little family owned shops may be ok but many of the larger stores seem to hire enough to have 2 sales people per customer and 1 picking pimples at their counter.

The forthought on the proposed wage increase may not have included several parts of a reliable/profitable business equation. Until there are real numbers on gross income, expenses, net profit, etc and the people making proposals for change of any of the contributing factors, a lot of ignorance is being displayed. The ignorance factor is probably the only thing that can be reliably approached.

Right, we have good 20 % more staff than we need. Spare for staff fluctation, the usual Thai style (mother sick, brother in jail, grandpa dead etc etc) and to have muscle for emergencies.

Surely we reduce that to 10 % and kick the other to be more efficient.

Do you come from a perfect family,fit,live forever.My mum was recently sick and then died.I took time off work AND got payed.Do you pay your staff if they're off work.If the west can afford these cost why can't Thailand.

I worked with a guy once who's father died twice.

[Geekfreaklover]

Thai offices are often over-staffed, some workers seem to be there just for show. To show to the world how the boss has so many workers, and is oh so powerful! Maybe a wage hike will make business a bit more stream-lined. Although I doubt it as the ones doing nothing will be the ones that stay and the ones doing the real work will be sacked.

[louse1953]

Am I the only one to think that workers do not deserve any salary hike in this country ?

Shouldn't they show more interest and responsability in their work before expecting any salary increase ?

NO you not

I have had to put up the wages since April 1. Firstly let me say that the staff has not even tried to put in an extra 1%, if anything for more slack

People coming for interview asking for starting salary of 10 000+with no experience at all

I have no alternative but to put up the prices also, i am noticing prices going up all around.

Also keep in mind that a huge number of businesses if not most businesses(especially smaller one's) do not exactly employ an accountant(though not sure it would be different if they did) to calculate price increase according to wage increase. ie, many simply put up the price just as much as the wages, so basically the price of some goods went up by as much as 30% because they wages did

Wage rise is not for your productivity,it's for cost of living increases

[louse1953]

Does anyone wants to work for 150/200 bht a day???? If not so stop your silly posts, you probably have a riant salary already or be rich whatever and dont give a dam_n for those people who are facing the rising costs of living on their meagre wages of 6000 bht a month. Think about that...!!!!

Anybody who is against the wage hike should try to live on 6000 bht a month i think you will sing a different song.

So do you think/feel now that so many had a wage rise, they should perhaps contribute little more to the business? instead of little less? or the same?

Perhaps taking a sick day off every second week, instead of every single week with doctor's certificate stating "headache" or "period pain"

You ever had a period,it's real you know.Maybe your having one now,your angry enough.If you treated the workers a bit better than cheap labour,maybe they might show you some respect.

[louse1953]

e wage hike will impact the competitiveness of Thai entrepreneurs in the long run, especially those whose businesses rely mainly on the labor workforce.

BS.

Let's see what happens when the government of your country imposes a 50% wage increase across the board. I will wager that layoffs will be the first order of business, no matter where in the world you are.

Forget about the % rise coming off a low base,talk about the actual baht rise,to cover rising CPI.Leave the poor behind as the boss gets richer,is that your idea.

[louse1953]

e wage hike will impact the competitiveness of Thai entrepreneurs in the long run, especially those whose businesses rely mainly on the labor workforce.

BS.

Let's see what happens when the government of your country imposes a 50% wage increase across the board. I will wager that layoffs will be the first order of business, no matter where in the world you are.

From what I see in Thailand 70% percent of employers are superfluous at least in retail - I have heard shops are forced to employ so many workers dependent on floor area - the reason for the collapse of Carrefour. I guess this would not be the same with factories.

I agree,most employers are not needed,but going by your previous posts i guess you mean 70% employees which is BS.

[louse1953]

e wage hike will impact the competitiveness of Thai entrepreneurs in the long run, especially those whose businesses rely mainly on the labor workforce.

BS.

Let's see what happens when the government of your country imposes a 50% wage increase across the board. I will wager that layoffs will be the first order of business, no matter where in the world you are.

I would have thought that market forces should drive salaries, not politicians with their populist policies ! Salaries are so low because most Thais won't work for such salaries, while Burmese / Cambodian / Laotians will jump at the chance. As mentioned, increasing salaries will result in layoffs and drive prices up of goods. So your average Somchai in the street will be no better or worse off.

They've got slave labour wages in those 3 countries,that's why they cross the border.Would you work for those wages?

[louse1953]

Part of what makes Thailand attractive to foreign investment is the low wages paid to employees. If the government removes that incentive for doing business in Thailand, investors will search for the next country with excess population and high unemployment rates. There is a reason that billions of USD are flowing into the Philippines.

Wasn't it quoted that PI pay the same.

[louse1953]

Many of the employors are probably looking at the excess/extra employees they have kept on in the past as a quick fix to salary increase. The little family owned shops may be ok but many of the larger stores seem to hire enough to have 2 sales people per customer and 1 picking pimples at their counter.

The forthought on the proposed wage increase may not have included several parts of a reliable/profitable business equation. Until there are real numbers on gross income, expenses, net profit, etc and the people making proposals for change of any of the contributing factors, a lot of ignorance is being displayed. The ignorance factor is probably the only thing that can be reliably approached.

Right, we have good 20 % more staff than we need. Spare for staff fluctation, the usual Thai style (mother sick, brother in jail, grandpa dead etc etc) and to have muscle for emergencies.

Surely we reduce that to 10 % and kick the other to be more efficient.

Do you come from a perfect family,fit,live forever.My mum was recently sick and then died.I took time off work AND got payed.Do you pay your staff if they're off work.If the west can afford these cost why can't Thailand.

I worked with a guy once who's father died twice.

The benefits of being a Buddhist.

[h90]

Many of the employors are probably looking at the excess/extra employees they have kept on in the past as a quick fix to salary increase. The little family owned shops may be ok but many of the larger stores seem to hire enough to have 2 sales people per customer and 1 picking pimples at their counter.

The forthought on the proposed wage increase may not have included several parts of a reliable/profitable business equation. Until there are real numbers on gross income, expenses, net profit, etc and the people making proposals for change of any of the contributing factors, a lot of ignorance is being displayed. The ignorance factor is probably the only thing that can be reliably approached.

Right, we have good 20 % more staff than we need. Spare for staff fluctation, the usual Thai style (mother sick, brother in jail, grandpa dead etc etc) and to have muscle for emergencies.

Surely we reduce that to 10 % and kick the other to be more efficient.

Do you come from a perfect family,fit,live forever.My mum was recently sick and then died.I took time off work AND got payed.Do you pay your staff if they're off work.If the west can afford these cost why can't Thailand.

We pay the staff if they are off for 1-3 days (had recently one whos father died), no problem.

And the west CAN not afford it, if you check what is happening in Europe at the moment.....

[h90]

Thai offices are often over-staffed, some workers seem to be there just for show. To show to the world how the boss has so many workers, and is oh so powerful! Maybe a wage hike will make business a bit more stream-lined. Although I doubt it as the ones doing nothing will be the ones that stay and the ones doing the real work will be sacked.

It is also terrible bureaucratic....In some company they are already so busy pushing paper from one side to the other and stamp it 3 times and signature everything triple by 5 people that there is no time left for customer anymore :-))

[phl]

Does anyone wants to work for 150/200 bht a day???? If not so stop your silly posts, you probably have a riant salary already or be rich whatever and dont give a dam_n for those people who are facing the rising costs of living on their meagre wages of 6000 bht a month. Think about that...!!!!

Anybody who is against the wage hike should try to live on 6000 bht a month i think you will sing a different song.

So do you think/feel now that so many had a wage rise, they should perhaps contribute little more to the business? instead of little less? or the same?

Perhaps taking a sick day off every second week, instead of every single week with doctor's certificate stating "headache" or "period pain"

You ever had a period,it's real you know.Maybe your having one now,your angry enough.If you treated the workers a bit better than cheap labour,maybe they might show you some respect.

I do not think its humanly possible for a man to have a period, but can always learn

Would you suggest i also give them a shoulder to cry on when they have a quarrel with someone, or perhaps a hankie to wipe the tears.

Is there anything else an employer should do besides providing stable salary and stable job

[phl]

They've got slave labour wages in those 3 countries,that's why they cross the border.Would you work for those wages?

slave labor? and how exactly did you arrive at that conclusion? slaves usually do not get paid, just fed and housed

[phl]

Am I the only one to think that workers do not deserve any salary hike in this country ?

Shouldn't they show more interest and responsability in their work before expecting any salary increase ?

NO you not

I have had to put up the wages since April 1. Firstly let me say that the staff has not even tried to put in an extra 1%, if anything for more slack

People coming for interview asking for starting salary of 10 000+with no experience at all

I have no alternative but to put up the prices also, i am noticing prices going up all around.

Also keep in mind that a huge number of businesses if not most businesses(especially smaller one's) do not exactly employ an accountant(though not sure it would be different if they did) to calculate price increase according to wage increase. ie, many simply put up the price just as much as the wages, so basically the price of some goods went up by as much as 30% because they wages did

Wage rise is not for your productivity,it's for cost of living increases

Oh..i see.

So business should pay more salary and get nothing in return?

Bulletproof thinking

[phl]

Am I the only one to think that workers do not deserve any salary hike in this country ?

Shouldn't they show more interest and responsability in their work before expecting any salary increase ?

Pay peanuts you tight arse and what do you expect.I pay a little above award and extras and get excellent results.

Little above????? you tight arse!!!!!!!!!!!! why do not you pay more?

PS. Did you not just say in your resent post (like 6 posts back) that you worked for a company in Europe and took a day off after death in the family?

Just confused, how you can work in Europe and be paid for your days off and at the same time be the business owner in Thailand paying little above minimum wage

Edited May 2, 2012 by phl