Workers vent ire at wage backflip

[Flashermac]

Bangkok Post

15 July 2011

 

 

Discontent among labourers is brewing as the Pheu Thai Party is expected to backtrack on its election campaign pledge to increase the minimum daily wage to 300 baht a day nationwide.

 

After criticism from businesses and academics about its policy, Pheu Thai is expected to review the proposed 300-baht wage increase with Bangkok and Phuket to be the first provinces to get the wage rise.

 

The wage increase would later cover other provinces gradually over a one-year period.

 

[color:red]Pheu Thai's proposed 300 baht a day wage has raised concern among academics and businesses that the policy will force many entrepreneurs out of business as they would be unable to cope with a higher wages bill.[/color]

 

Some fear the policy could also increase inflation, although Pheu Thai has promised to offset the impact of a higher minimum wage by cutting the corporate tax rate from 30% to 23% by next year, and 20% by 2013.

 

[color:red]Chalee Loysoong, chairman of the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee, yesterday insisted Pheu Thai must honour its campaign pledge of a minimum 300-baht wage across the country.

 

He said any attempt by the party to review the wage rise promise amounted to a blatant lie which cannot be tolerated by workers who had expected the party to become the government, Mr Chalee said.[/color]

 

He said the application of the wage increase only in Bangkok and Phuket will prompt a sudden, massive influx of workers from other provinces into the two cities and this would have adverse repercussions on the industrial productivity of other provinces.

 

Mr Chalee said the committee will meet Yingluck Shinawatra, the prospective prime minister, on Monday to demand she adhere to the wage rise promise.

 

Mr Chalee said Pheu Thai's about-turn on the wage rise issue could stem from mounting pressure from entrepreneurs.

 

He also called on the party to take steps to ensure employers have the capacity to increase the wage rates for workers.

 

"This is a lesson for political parties which roll out policies without careful consideration," Mr Chalee said.

 

Surat Chanwanpen, a labour leader in Pathum Thani, said that giving Bangkok a higher wage than its surrounding provinces - Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan and Nakhon Pathom - will only exacerbate the wage gap between workers.

 

Wilaiwan sae Tia, deputy chairwoman of the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee, said workers had decided to vote for Pheu Thai mainly because of its 300-baht minimum wage rise.

 

Failure to deliver on its promise and approving the wage rises only for certain provinces are proof of its insincerity, she said.

 

Pheu Thai deputy leader Plodprasop Suraswadi yesterday gave assurances that the new Pheu Thai-led government will not scrap the proposed 300-baht minimum wage for the whole country.

 

But he conceded that it would be impossible for Pheu Thai to instantly enforce the 300-baht flat rate increase across the nation when it is sworn into office.

 

"We can't increase the minimum wage to 300 baht in all provinces immediately [as the party said during the election campaign].

 

[color:red]"You have to understand that it was a campaign speech.[/color]

 

"But we are determined to increase the wage to 300 baht a day in every province within one year," Mr Plodprasop, a Pheu Thai list MP, said.

 

He said fixing the wage rise at 300 baht a day nationwide is intended to prevent labourers from concentrating in Bangkok and other major cities.

 

This is also meant to ensure workers remain in their localities to contribute to the development of their home provinces.

 

Kanawat Wasinsungworn, a Pheu Thai deputy leader who sits on the party's economic team, confirmed that the 300-baht wage increase will apply to all provinces, although some provinces will not get the new wage increase immediately.

 

[color:red]Mr Kanawat said measures will be put in place to help workers who will not receive 300 baht a day to prevent them from migrating to provinces with higher wage rates.[/color]

 

 

Read my lips!

 

 

[WorldFun]

why not just sweep under the rug or ignore empty promises as is TIT mode operandi?

[kamui]

why not just sweep under the rug or ignore empty promises as is TIT mode operandi?

 

I guess the laborers who voted for Yingluck because of the promised wage rise won't forget...

[Central Scrutinizer]

Let the demonstrations and rioting begin.

 

[Flashermac]

 

Now Pheu Takky is saying that Bangkok will get the 300 baht minimum, as well tourist areas such as Pattaya and Phuket. So PT increases it for the folks who didn't vote for Yingluck, but not for the folks in rural areas that supported her.

 

 

[Coss]

Sort of turns Pavlov's dog on it's head

[Flashermac]

 

 

Labour demands promised wage rise

 

 

 

 

The Thai Labour Solidarity Committee has called on the incoming Pheu Thai government to raise the minimum wage to 300 baht a day nationwide as it promised to do in its election campaign.

 

[color:red]The committee chairman Chalee Loysoong made the demand on Monday in a letter submitted to Pheu Thai deputy spokesman Jirayu Huangsap at the party's headquarters.[/color]

 

In the letter, the committee asked the new government to increase the minimum wage to 300 baht a day throughout the country within six months.

 

The committee also called on the new government to continue labour-related tasks initiated by the outgoing government on matters such as labour rights, labour unions and restructuring workers' relations.

 

 

 

Bangkok Post

[Guest HonoluluJimmy]

Let the demonstrations and rioting begin.

 

 

 

And they will uf Ynigkluck is bounced on some bull like H.E. PolLCol Dr. Thaksin S. is running the election. People can fly anywhere to meet anybody. If anyone doesn;t think that all those moves we planned and review for defenseability or plausable bagwanning you are brain dead...