Workers rally on Labour Day, mock govt policies
PENCHAN CHAROENSUTHIPAN & APIRADEE TREERUTKUARKUL
Workers protesting outside Government House yesterday, Labour Day, ate soup made from chicken bones to show how desperate they are for a rise in the basic wage, and the commerce and labour ministers are paying heed.
Commerce Minister Mingkwan Sangsuwan said he would try his best to raise the minimum wage by nine baht.
His speech brought hope to the many labourers who attended the Labour Day fair at the Royal Plaza.
His promise was echoed by Labour Minister Uraiwan Thienthong, who said the central wage committee will meet today to consider raising the minimum wage, which ranges from 144 to 195 baht a day, depending on the province.
Udomsak Buppanimit, president of the Thailand Council of Workers' Organisations and Labour Unions, who organised the May Day rally, said a nine-baht raise would help workers get by for a while.
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| Workers march along Ratchadamnoen Nok avenue on Labour Day yesterday. Their placards call for a wage increase, labour-rights guarantees in a charter, and free medical treatment for insured workers when they retire. — CHANAT KATANYU |
To put them in the comfort zone, the minimum should be 233 baht, he said.
About 10,000 workers walked from Victory Monument carrying banners mocking the government's policies, particularly its failure to control the runaway prices of rice and basic commodities.
They stopped at Royal Plaza, then moved to Government House, where about 70 labour groups handed a five-point demand to the prime minister.
They demanded control of commodity prices, transparent management of social security, cancellation of state enterprise privatisation, enforcement of the Labour Relations Act and enforcement of the Occupational Safety and Working Environment Act.
Also yesterday, 351 workers - 287 earning daily wages - were made jobless as garment producer and exporter Ameritex Apparel Corp closed.
Labour Protection and Welfare Department chief Padungsak Thephasdin na Ayutthaya said two American owners of the firm, in the Lat Krabang industrial estate in Bangkok, advised the firm's executives of the decision by email, blaming unfavourable economic conditions in Thailand.
They agreed to pay 20 million baht in outstanding wages and severance pay. Worker representatives were chosen to oversee the sales of its assets, worth about three million baht, but the firm reported 82 million baht in debts.
Mr Padungsak said the workers would find new jobs because skilled labourers are in high demand.
In the first quarter this year, 57 firms laid off a total of 2,247 workers, he said. The department was closely watching the garment industry, which was very sensitive to the economic situation.
Public Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsab said the Workmen's Compensation Fund reported almost 200,000 of the country's pool of 37 million workers fell ill or were injured at work last year.
Of these, 741 died, 16 were left permanently disabled and 3,259 lost body parts. The main cause was falling objects and the eyes the most vulnerable part.
The metal production industry reported the most injuries, and the most dangerous jobs were machine operating and assembling parts.
Mr Chaiya said 51 workers per 1,000 in Nakhon Pathom were injured at work, 44 in Samut Prakan and 42 in Rayong.
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