The daily minimum wage hike to 400 baht nationwide cannot be introduced on Oct 1 as planned after some members of the tripartite wage committee failed to attend a meeting to discuss the proposed wage increase yet again on Friday.
Speaking after the meeting, Permanent Secretary for Labour Pairoj Chotikasathien said some employees and government officials on the 15-member committee did not show up, resulting in a lack of a quorum.
The meeting requires a quorum of at least two-thirds, or 10 members, to vote on the matter, but only nine were present, he explained.
As a result, the remaining committee members could not vote on the matter and only discussed issues related to the potential impacts of the wage hike.
A new meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday to review the wage rise proposal, which will apply to companies or factories with at least 200 workers.
However, Mr Pairoj expressed his belief that the committee will eventually reach a conclusion on the wage rise proposal and present it to the cabinet for consideration on Oct 1. This means a wage increase cannot be introduced on that date as planned.
On Monday, the wage committee -- comprised of employees, employers, and the government -- met to push the government's 400-baht minimum wage policy. However, five employer representatives did not attend, claiming they had other engagements.
Mr Pairoj emphasised that committee members must attend the next meeting and vote on the wage proposal themselves; they cannot send representatives to vote on their behalf, he said.
He declined to comment when reporters pointed out that those who failed to attend yesterday's meeting included committee members from the government.
According to a source, only nine members of the 15-member committee attended Friday's meeting, while six committee members -- four from the government and two from the employees -- did not show up. All five employer representatives were present at the meeting.
Among those absent was Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, director of the Trade Policy and Strategy Office under the Commerce Ministry.
The business sector has indicated it is not ready for a wage increase.
Kriengkrai Thiennukul, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), previously said that the state's representatives should heed suggestions made by the provincial subcommittees regarding the wage hike.
He added that the national wage committee should also consider economic indicators and the country's competitiveness when deliberating the matter.
Mr Kriengkrai noted that the FTI has held discussions with businesses, and the wage rise may force those already in vulnerable positions to close, which could affect overall confidence.
The FTI chairman also proposed a "pay by skill" solution and called on agencies to upskill workers to meet market demand.
"Half of the industries aren't labour-intensive and are prepared to pay 700-900 baht to skilled workers; however, such workers are hard to find. We should have discussions to fine-tune [the policy] to avoid it becoming a debate," he said.
Songpol Changsiriwatthanathamrong, president of the Songkhla Chamber of Commerce, indicated that members of the provincial chamber disagreed with the wage rise to 400 baht, as it will impact small- and medium-sized enterprises that are labour-intensive and mostly hire migrant workers.
Raising the daily minimum wage was a key election promise of the Pheu Thai-led government. The government aims to increase the wage to 400 baht during its first year in power and to 600 baht by 2027.
The tripartite committee approved a 400-baht daily wage on March 26, which took effect in parts of 10 provinces on April 13, including Phuket, Koh Samui in Surat Thani, Pattaya in Chon Buri, Chiang Mai City in Chiang Mai, and Pathumwan and Watthana districts in Bangkok. This applied to tourism-related businesses and four-star hotels with at least 50 employees.
