Probe urged to see if firms skirting paying workers

Probe urged to see if firms skirting paying workers

The government is being urged to investigate whether some employers are exploiting labour laws to avoid paying their workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The call was made during an online seminar on unemployment related to the outbreak organised by labour rights groups.

Some businesses have allegedly forced their employees to seek unemployment compensation from the Social Security Fund (SSF) when they should have continued paying their wages as required by Section 75 of the labour law.

Before the Labour Ministry decided to classify the Covid-19 pandemic as a "force majeure", some business operators who furloughed their staff agreed to pay 75% of salaries to their workers.

But when the outbreak was declared a "force majeure", those businesses reportedly asked their workers to seek unemployment compensation -- 62% of their daily wage capped at 500 baht per day or 15,000 per month -- from the SSF.

Charit Meesit, a human rights lawyer, said the Labour Ministry should investigate those unemployment claims. He also said new legislation was needed to take care of workers during times of crisis.

Manit Promkareekul, president of the Automobile Labour Congress of Thailand, said people who are drawing down SSF money are not getting government relief as they are benefiting from their own contributions.

The number of businesses which suspended work under Section 75 was 594 in March, affecting 110,000 workers, according to the source. That number rose to 10,648 in April with 440,000 workers affected.

Pornnarai Tuiyakhai, a lawyer specialising in labour disputes, said some businesses have allegedly exploited the situation to lay off workers without giving severance pay.

"There has also been confusion as to what employers can do, whether they can reduce wages or furlough workers without saying when they will get back to work. The latter can be seen as termination of employment, which raises questions about severance pay," he said.

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