Labour department to make sure all workers of gold mining companies are compensated properly

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Labour department to make sure all workers of gold mining companies are compensated properly



BANGKOK: -- The Labour Welfare and Protection Department will make sure that all about 1,000 employees of Akra Resources gold mining company and 10 other subcontracting firms will be properly compensated in accordance with the labour law after they are to close down their businesses within this year as a result of the cabinet’s decision.

Ms Pannee Sriyuthasak, the department chief, said Wednesday that there are altogether 364 employees working for Akra Resources company and another 693 employed by the 10 affiliated firms.

Citing Section 118 of the labour protection law, she explained that the workers would be entitled to 30-day severance pay if they have been working over 120 days up to one year.

Those working more than one year up to three years will be entitled to 90-day severance pay; from 3-6 years, 180-day severance pay; 6-10 years, 240-day severance pay and more than 10 years, 300-day severance pay.

She said that Akra Resources was willing to compensate its employees according to the law but for the rest of the other subcontracting firms, labour officials will try to explain to them their legal obligation to compensate the workers.

On top of that, all the workers will be entitled to half of their monthly pay after six months of the layoffs in accordance with the social security law, she added.

Mr Surapong Kongchantoek, director of Karen Study and Developnment Centre, the gold mining company must remove all the gold ores from the mining site within the next seven months.

As the result of the cabinet’s resolution on Tuesday, he said that all the applications for gold mining concessions of 12 companies in 10 provinces, including Thung Kham company in Loei province, would be automatically invalidated.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/162920

-- Thai PBS 2016-05-12

[Thechook]

The junta is shutting down the company and forcing people out of work. Why does the company have to pay and not the military. Like making Bob responsible for Bill's actions.

Lesson here, never invest in Thailand because you will be bent over and given a bloody good shafting.

Edited May 11, 2016 by Thechook

[greenchair]

And there lies the dilemma of any foreign company wishing to invest here. A stroke of the pen can cancel their contract and force them to close down operations losing millions in investment. Not to mention the compensation that they must pay to all employees. Would not surprise me if 2 years down the track , a Thai firm might just renegotiate a new contract, now that all the hard work has been done. Would not be the first company this has happened to.

[casualbiker]

The junta is shutting down the company and forcing people out of work. Why does the company have to pay and not the military. Like making Bob responsible for Bill's actions.

Lesson here, never invest in Thailand because you will be bent over and given a bloody good shafting.

Is it a possibility that they are being stopped from their mining BECAUSE they do not follow any environmental laws and are polluting the countryside.

[Eric Loh]

The junta is shutting down the company and forcing people out of work. Why does the company have to pay and not the military. Like making Bob responsible for Bill's actions.

Lesson here, never invest in Thailand because you will be bent over and given a bloody good shafting.

Is it a possibility that they are being stopped from their mining BECAUSE they do not follow any environmental laws and are polluting the countryside.

If the company is not following environment laws and polluting the countryside, the government should state that as this is a good legal basis to close the mine. If it's pollution, reveal the medical findings and they have a good case. We have not heard or seen any of this legal and scientific charges. In fact, the government has admitted on the media that they could not establish any scientific links concerning the villages claims on health issues and the operation per se.

The company did responded that they passed the mandatory environmental impact regulation every year and disclaimed that magnesium and arsenic named in the health problems are not heavy metals that they use for mining.

Government should do better to reveal the standards used to determine the pollution issues and follow the judiciary process to deal with this rather than an arbitrary decision to close the mine. This kind of arbitrary abrupt decisions without legal and scientific basis will send a very poor image to investors and bad image of the country.

[Lupatria]

The moment the last foreigner left the mines, the influential untouchables will be over each one like flies on the turd.

[Winniedapu]

One of the 2 reasons why the last quarter showed an increase in exports from Thailand, was gold exports. I can't remember what the other one was, though I do recall it sounded bogus. I didn't check it because if I check everything that sounds bogus in Thailand then I'll be back in full-time employment.

Anyway, gold exports was the main reason quoted.

So naturally the government stops gold mining.

Obviously.

Winnie

[Thechook]

The junta is shutting down the company and forcing people out of work. Why does the company have to pay and not the military. Like making Bob responsible for Bill's actions.

Lesson here, never invest in Thailand because you will be bent over and given a bloody good shafting.

Is it a possibility that they are being stopped from their mining BECAUSE they do not follow any environmental laws and are polluting the countryside.

The majority of the responsibility being thai as they own the majority. I would guess the Thais will pass the majority to the minority to save face.

[connda]

The junta is shutting down the company and forcing people out of work. Why does the company have to pay and not the military. Like making Bob responsible for Bill's actions.

Lesson here, never invest in Thailand because you will be bent over and given a bloody good shafting.

The government will be paying for all the ecological cleanup too.