The prospects of the government delivering on its pledge to increase the minimum wage to 400 baht nationwide on Jan 1 appear to be fading.
The national wage committee, consisting of representatives from business, labour groups and the government, met on Thursday but failed to reach a decision. It will meet again on Dec 23, said Bunsong Thapchaiyut, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Labour.
Participants at Thursday’s meeting acknowledged the appointment of two new government representatives after a hiatus caused by changes in committee members due to their resignations, he said.
They also agreed on procedures, conditions, details and legal aspects regarding minimum wage adjustments. As for the actual wage rates, the committee agreed to postpone its deliberations to the next meeting on Dec 23.
Businesses remain strongly opposed to a major change in the minimum wage at a time when the economy is fragile. The current minimum wage ranges from 330 baht to 370 baht depending on the province. Employers say a one-size-fits-all rate for the whole country is not practical and ignores economic realities.
The Pheu Thai-led government has said the 400-baht rate would apply only to larger employers in selected sectors. It has acknowledged that businesses would feel the impact but believes more money in workers’ pockets would ultimately be good for the economy overall.
Mr Bunsong said organisations in all 77 provinces have proposed their figures, and wage adjustments would be considered based on economic conditions and the local cost of living.
Therefore, it would be impossible to apply the same 400-baht minimum wage rate to all provinces, he said.
He said the committee’s goal is to finalise the new rates as a New Year gift to the people while ensuring fairness for both employees and employers.
Attayut Leeyavanich, an employers’ representative on the committee, said employers do not oppose adjustments, but the figures should be appropriate.
However, he said that since the current proposals were based on data from July, an update was needed.
Labour representative Weerasuk Kaewboonpun said workers nationwide have been looking forward to a 400-baht rate, but the committee was still unable to conclude whether the minimum wage would reach that level.