Worker groups are worried the Labour Protection Bill that requires employers to give better compensation to their staff might be scuttled as business group opposition mounts.
Manas Kosol, president of the Confederation of Thai Labour (CTL), said he wants the government to speed up passage of the bill, after business groups on Thursday to say they had “grave concerns” about it.
The Thai Chamber of Commerce, The Thai Bankers Association and The Federation of Thai Industries said some clauses will burden the business sector, especially SMEs.
They cited a clause stipulating that 400 days’ compensation is to be paid to daily wage earners laid off after being employed for more than 20 years.
Other concerns include the granting of rights for workers to take more three days of paid business leave a one year, and another clause requiring employers to inform workers if companies have to relocate.
In this regard, the bill gives workers affected by workplace relocations the right to scrap their contract and get compensation.
Mr Manas, however, said business groups had misunderstood the bill. The 400 baht a day payment rate applicable to redundancies was similar to rates in neighbouring countries.
The CTL and affiliated networks sent a petition asking PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to forward the bill, approved by cabinet on Aug 15, to the National Legislative Assembly for approval this year.
“This will be a gift for blue-collar workers who have been waiting for a law like this for a long time,” he said.
The bill will benefit more than 90% of daily wage workers nationwide, he predicted, and deserved public support.
Under the Labour Protection Act, 240 days’ compensation is paid to daily wage earners laid off after service of six to 10 years; 180 days’ compensation for workers who have been with a company for three to six years; 90 days’ compensation for those who have worked from one to three years; and 30 days’ compensation for those employed from 120 days to a year.
By: Post Reporters, Bangkok Post
Published on: 9 October 2017