Wage boost only part of the solution

COMMENTARY

Wage boost only part of the solution

Published: 10 Jan 2013 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

What can you do with 300 baht? That is the amount of money a worker in a Thai company is now entitled to receive following the government-mandated minimum daily wage hike.

Factory workers, waiters and waitresses, cleaning ladies, garbage collectors, gardeners, labourers and hotel bell boys are among the workers who will presumably benefit from the wage increase.

The Pheu Thai-led government stated in its election campaign that workers deserve the minimum wage of 300 baht (7,800 baht a month), or 40-90% more than they used to receive based on the previous rate.

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KYS
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Discussion 17 : 11 Jan 2013 at 03.2317
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I don’t think the matter of increase or decease in wages will improve anything, the outflow of humanity’s ego will persist to readjust the current polarity and continue to extend over time, this is already proven from past to present. I personally suggest if anyone is looking for a solution to the system, consider life first before money, root of living base on food and shelter shall be distributed equally and freely, or else workers/employees or anyone will not be effective due to low or minimum standard of living, in which to them it’s rather a process of dying than living, until then they forgot what living really means.
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phetpeter
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Discussion 16 : 10 Jan 2013 at 21.4616
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By increasing wages, you increase the costs of goods and expenses...But! if you don't increase wages, the costs of goods and expenses also has to stay low. So, importing companies can't charge their inflated prices to increase their profits, because Thai's wouldn't be able to pay..So the increased wages go to pay the increased prices....Understand whats happening? The hole in the dam has been made bigger! In less than two years, the average debt and costs for normal Thai's will become a crisis, banks will stop lending..happened in the UK and Thailand will be in touble while the rest of the world has recovered.
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O000o
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Discussion 15 : 10 Jan 2013 at 20.5415
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C'mon people! 300 baht now a days in Thailand is still a misery! what are you talking about?
I know thais earning 120000 a month net and paying 5000 to a nanny! no vacation! no insurance! good for the 300!!! This is Esparta! sorry Khon Kaeng
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khunatm
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Discussion 14 : 10 Jan 2013 at 15.5014
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It seems to me the government has the correct pulse. I do not think they want 10 million working poor getting organized or to see that ten million in the streets protesting.Where will the ten million spend that money?;at the 25 million self employed business's. As to the value of the cleaning staff/garbage collectors, I sure hope they do a good job the day i need to go to the doctors office. News flash....People can spew out all the rhetoric they want but these working poor people are not stupid.The difference is opportunity. "Professionals" can still only drive one car at a time.
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spiceman
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Discussion 13 : 10 Jan 2013 at 15.4313
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Wage is a function of Demand of and Supply for labor. So If Thailand wants (real) wages to rise, the Govt can just reduce the amount of foreign labor or even freeze it altogether, depending on how much it wants the prevailing wages to rise. Once that happens, employers will begin raising wages left and right in order to attract employees to fill up their payrolls. Wages will rise automatically. I don't know about you guys, but my prevailing wage currently is at 1,500 baht per hours. And if someone is willing to pay me that much doing any legal jobs, including street sweeping, I will be on the earliest flight back to Thailand.
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buster
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Discussion 12 : 10 Jan 2013 at 13.1612
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BKK-Boy
You are right, the rest is wrong.
I NEED that money a month to keep my family afloat,why?
1.We eat fresh and crispy every day, milk, cheese, yoghert all healthy we are.
2.We are INSURED...yes insured, all family members have health and life insurence, liabilty insurence, car insurence, burglary insurence,payed the cars with cash,in full, we are NOT overspending money when our 2 kids want to buy a an I-pad they get it, capice?
Now,how can somebody live of 300 bath a day as a migrant worker, unless ofcourse you cramp them all up in 1 room,force 5 bath rice,and 10 bath soup on them without ANY insurence whatsoever.
AMAZING THAILAN
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pjt
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Discussion 11 : 10 Jan 2013 at 09.1211
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Suspending the min wage increase for 2 years shows the government does not understand the issue, especially if there is another huge hike after 2 years (in time for next election). What is required is a smooth predictable increase - so employers have time to adapt through productivity improvement etc, and employees have a chance to move jobs where unemployment results - as it will. What the government should do is publish a genuine estimate of what a reasonable min wage is (300 seems too low) and update this each year for inflation of costs, then set a formula of inflation plus say 10% to close the gap over time to raise the minimum each year
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jacksprat
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Discussion 10 : 10 Jan 2013 at 09.0910
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@discussion 7 - The base pay for foreign lecturers at "public universities" is still 25,500 baht. It hasn't changed since 1992. When Thaksin came out with his magic figure of 65,000 for a Farang to be able to live here (but only 55,000 for Brits), we all thought we might get a pay rise. Nope. Teachers were exempted. That is why almost all teach extra classes.
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jacksprat
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Discussion 9 : 10 Jan 2013 at 09.009
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"professionals and the elite" Just who the devil are "the elite"? One reads about this all the time - the elite this, the elite that. As near as I can figure, "the elite" means anyone with a fair amount of money who does not support Pheu Thai. Rich people who support PT are called "prai".
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pjt
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Discussion 8 : 10 Jan 2013 at 08.588
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We have low unemployment - and low wages - that should not be the case - because if labour is hard to find wages should rise. Is not part of the problem is a huge body of immigrant labour (both legal and illegal) keeps downward pressure on wages - particularly in the categories noted in para 2? Should not part of the solution involve being less open to migration or at least regulating it in such a way to ensure it is not used to undercut a decent living wage for Thai people
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Wage boost only part of the solution | Bangkok Post: opinion