Demands by Thai Airways International staff for a salary increase of 7.5% and a two-month bonus will be decided by the airline's board on Feb 8, THAI president Sorajak Kasemsuwan said on Sunday.
Mr Sorajak was detailing the latest development after about 400 ground staff of the airline called off their strike over their demands on Sunday morning. The protest disrupted dozens of flights on Saturday, including international ones.
The THAI president's remark contrasted with a claim by Jaemsri Sukchoterat, the THAI labour union chairwoman who led the strike, on Sunday that the board of directors and the staff had reached a mutual agreement.
Under the agreement, the staff would get the 7.5% salary increase while the bonus payment would be based on the performance of THAI. The board would put up the result of the company’s operation spublicly and explain to the staff about its operation, she said.
Mr Sorajak said the board of directors would consider on Feb 8 whether to increase staff salaries by 7.5% and the bonus from one month to two months.
In principle, he said, the 7.5% increase is only for staff whose salaries range between 7,000 and 30,000 baht per months. The number of staff in this category constitutes 30% of the airline's entire workforce. Executive-level staff who already enjoy high pay are not entitled to the increase.
Transport Minister Chadchat Sittipunt said the same as Mr Sorajak on the salary increase and bonus demands.
He said he had asked Mr Sorajak to find out whether the strike during the past two days could be taken as a neglect of duty on the part of any staff or caused any inconvenience to THAI passengers.
The staff's demands would have to be considered and decided by the board of directors chaired by Ampon Kitti-ampon. Many factors would be raised for consideration and the demands might not be fully met, Mr Chadchat said.
Basically, a one-month bonus requires about one billion baht ofr about 200,000 staff, he added.
Mr Chadchat said he had ordered executives of state enterprises under the Transport Ministry, including the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) and Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA), to lay down an emergency plan to cope with a strike similar to the one carried out by the THAI labour union.
This is to avoid disruption of passenger services because in principle the passengers cannot be taken as hostages, he said.
He said he would coordinate with the armed forces to get help from soldiers in an emergency.
The THAI executives had been ordered to investigate whether any staff had neglected their duty, causing the delay of 32 flights.