About labour and work

Growing complaints show that companies use many different tricks to avoid paying workers the 300 baht per day required by law.

Photo above of a shrimp market were low-paid migrant workers divide the shrimp according to size into various plastic baskets and load them to buyers’ pick up trucks. Many low-paid workers are not yet getting the new 300-baht minimum wage promised them by the government (Photo: Arthur Jones Dionio).

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Firms 'ignore wage hike law'

Many aren't paying out new rates, activists say
20/07/2012
Penchan Charoensuthipan

The Yingluck Shinawatra government has come under fire for its failure to order employers to adopt the 300-baht minimum daily wage policy.

The criticism was made yesterday by labour rights advocates at a news conference announcing the number of unfair employment complaints resulting from the daily wage policy.

It was held at the Thai Labour Museum Foundation on Nikom Rotfai Makkasan Road in Bangkok.

In the first month after the new wage policy took effect on April 1, the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee, a labour rights and welfare non-governmental organisation, received 73 complaints about employers failing to increase pay.

Since then, the number of complaints has mushroomed to 5,134, according to tallies from the committee's eight complaint centres.

While the complaints keep piling up, the government, especially the Labour Ministry, has done nothing to look into the problem, treating it only as a conflict between employers and workers, committee head Chalee Loysung said.

The Labour Ministry, which could intervene, is only "floating above the problem" rather than providing help, said Yongyuth Mentaphao, chairman of the Thai Autoworkers Federation.

Workers in the auto parts production, hotel, transport and jewellery industries accounted for 2,380 complaints.

They claimed their wages have not been raised to the 300-baht notch, though their employers are required by law to increase their wages.

Other groups of workers also face similar problems, or worse conditions. The committee reported that 586 workers in the electronics, food, furniture and service sectors accused their employers of combining their welfare payments with daily wages to meet the minimum wage requirement.

Meanwhile, up to 2,168 workers, mostly in garment and clothing factories, have complained they encountered unpleasant changes in employment, including job transfers and a cut in fringe benefits.

"Though the 300-baht wage policy aims to improve their finances, a number of workers now "don't know whether they should be happy or sad about the policy", said Mr Chalee.

The Labour Ministry found in a survey conducted last month that most small and medium-sized business owners were unhappy with the policy.

"However, deputy chairwoman of the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee Wilaiwan sae Tia said employers "do not shoulder big burdens". They can apply for tax rebates on the money used to pay the higher wages, she said.

(Source: Firms 'ignore wage hike law', Many aren't paying out new rates, activists say, 20/07/2012, Penchan Charoensuthipan, link) 


Labour Rights Vocabulary

wage - an amount of money that you earn for working, usually according to how many hours or days you work each week or month ค่าจ้าง
wage hike - wage increase

ignore - to not listen or give attention to something; to pretend that you have not noticed or do not know about something เพิกเฉย
firms ignore wage hike law

activists - people who for political or social change; take part and organize activities and protests (See Wikipedia)
many aren't paying out new rates, activists say

come under fire - receive criticism (when people talk about bad things that should be changed)
employers - companies that hire workers

policy - a plan of action to guide decisions and achieve outcomes; a set of plans or action agreed on by a government, political party, business, or other group นโยบาย (See Wikipedia)

adopt - to accept or to start using something new นำมาใช้
adopt the 300-baht minimum daily wage policy

The Yingluck Shinawatra government has come under fire for its failure to order employers to adopt the 300-baht minimum daily wage policy.

criticism - when people talk about bad things that should be changed

rights - what the law allows you to have and do;  things that people must or should have as a matter of law or morals สิทธิ์ (See Wikipedia)
labour rights - the rights of workers; the rights that people who work as employees for companies and organizations have

advocates - people who strongly and public support something ผู้สนับสนุนความคิด
labour rights advocates - people whose job is to fight for worker rights

news conference - a special meeting to give information to to the media about an important event

employment - having a paid job
unfair employment

complaints - when people say there is something wrong and they want it changed
unfair employment complaints

The criticism was made yesterday by labour rights advocates at a news conference announcing the number of unfair employment complaints resulting from the daily wage policy. It was held at the Thai Labour Museum Foundation on Nikom Rotfai Makkasan Road in Bangkok.

welfare - living in good conditions (with health, wealth, and happiness) ความสะดวกสบาย, ความมีสุขภาพดี help given, especially by the state or an organization, to people who need it; good care and living conditions สวัสดิภาพ

non-governmental organization (NGO) - an orgzanization that helps people (that is not part of the government and is not a company)

complaint - when someone says that something is wrong or not satisfactory การร้องเรียน

mushroomed - increased
complaints mushroomed to 5,134

piling up - increasing
complaints keep piling up

do nothing

look into the problem - find out what the problem is, so you can find a solution and fix it
do nothing to look in to the problem

conflict - an angry disagreement between people or groups ความขัดแย้ง ความไม่ลงรอยกัน
conflict between employers and workers

In the first month after the new wage policy took effect on April 1, the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee, a labour rights and welfare non-governmental
organisation, received 73 complaints about employers failing to increase pay. Since then, the number of complaints has mushroomed to 5,134, according to tallies from the committee's eight complaint centres. While the complaints keep piling up, the government, especially the Labour Ministry, has done nothing to look into the problem, treating it only as a conflict between employers and workers, committee head Chalee Loysung said.

intervene - to become involved in a situation in order to try to stop or change it แทรกแซง สอดแทรก
transport - to move people or things from one place to another ขนส่ง

The Labour Ministry, which could intervene, is only "floating above the problem" rather than providing help, said Yongyuth Mentaphao, chairman of the Thai Autoworkers Federation. Workers in the auto parts production, hotel, transport and jewellery industries accounted for 2,380 complaints.

notch - level
300-baht notch - 300-baht level

wages - the amount of money earned per hour by a worker
wages raised to the 300-baht notch

welfare payments - extra money paid to workers for things such as healthcare

They claimed their wages have not been raised to the 300-baht notch, though their employers are required by law to increase their wages. Other groups of workers also face similar problems, or worse conditions. The committee reported that 586 workers in the electronics, food, furniture and service sectors accused their employers of combining their welfare payments with daily wages to meet the minimum wage requirement.

garment - clothes
garment factory
 
encountered - experienced, especially something unpleasant เผชิญหน้า
encountered unpleasant changes in employment

job transfers - changing the location of a person's work (for example, transferred to work in a different province) โอน โยกย้าย

fringe benefits - special things that employees receive in addition to their salary

improve - to make better ทำให้ดีขึ้น
improve their finances

Meanwhile, up to 2,168 workers, mostly in garment and clothing factories, have complained they encountered unpleasant changes in employment, including job transfers and a cut in fringe benefits. "Though the 300-baht wage policy aims to improve their finances, a number of workers now "don't know whether they should be happy or sad about the policy", said Mr Chalee.

survey - gathering information about what people think about different subjects (public opionion) by asking large numbers of people questions and counting their answers, and then using statistics, graphs, and tables to present results (See Wikipedia) การสำรวจความเห็น  
conduct survey - do survey, carry out survey
survey conducted

burden - a difficult thing that you must do; a difficult resposibility that you have
shoulder - to deal with or accept something difficult แบกรับภาระ หรือสถานการณ์
shoulder big burdens

apply for - make an official request for... ; as for officially ...

rebates - giving money back after money is paid for something
tax rebates - money you get back from the government after paying too much taxes
apply for tax rebates

The Labour Ministry found in a survey conducted last month that most small and medium-sized business owners were unhappy with the policy. "However, deputy chairwoman of the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee Wilaiwan sae Tia said employers "do not shoulder big burdens". They can apply for tax rebates on the money used to pay the higher wages, she said.