Bangkok: Workers march to demonstrate their power, submit 9 demands, asking the government to review the law. Labor Day is lively. Workers walk to show their power, send a message, submit 9 demands, ask the government to review the law to allow all groups of workers to enter the social security system, solve recurring problems, protect rights, point out that low wages are not consistent with the era of expensive goods.
According to Thai News Agency, Thai workers across the country joined together to actively demand change on National Labor Day 2025. There were demonstrations showing their strength from labor groups and related organizations, holding symbolic signs and messages reflecting the movement and demands of laborers to make changes that are fair to workers, such as paying wages and giving 180 days of maternity leave.
While at Lan Khon Muang, near Bangkok City Hall, Mr. Panas Thai Luan, Chairman of the National Labor Day Organizing Committee, made 9 demands for Labor Day to the government to improve the quality of life of Thai workers, such as being taken advantage of by both Thai and foreign employers, closing businesses without paying compensation or paying compensation in installments, working on holidays but getting the same amount of labor, and increasing the elderly allowance.
While the State Enterprise Labor Federation of Thailand is calling on the government to exempt the collection of the final income tax that employers pay to employees when they cease to be employed in all cases, both in the private sector and state enterprises, and to include state enterprise employees in the social security system, which is a system that shares happiness and sorrows and has a co-payment format, in order to receive fair social protection in Thailand.
With Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Labor, accepting the complaint and saying that the ministry is not indifferent to the demands from the labor group, which reflects the voices of our fellow workers nationwide. Many demands have been closely implemented. Confirming that we will move forward with proactive policies to take care of the labor force in all aspects, both domestically and internationally, with the principle that "everyone must have a job, have skills, have insurance, and have a good quality of life." We drive labor policies in a tangible way in every dimension. In addition, there are activities to thank Thai workers, such as job openings for 174,000 positions, vaccinations for four types of influenza, health check-ups, and concerts by artists and singers.
For the 9 demands for National Labor Day:
1. The government should expedite the ratification of the International Labor Organization Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize and Convention No. 98 on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining.
2. The government should enact a law or announce it as a ministerial regulation to establish a risk insurance fund to be a guarantee for employees' work.
3. The government should exempt income tax from the final lump sum that employers pay to employees when they cease to be employed in all cases, both in the private sector and state enterprises, up to 1 million baht.
4. Allow state enterprise employees to be in the social security system, which is a system that shares happiness and sorrows and has a co-payment feature to be protected.
5. The government should improve and amend social security.
5.1 Adjust the pension base to have an income of not less than 5,000 baht.
5.2 In the case where the insured person has retired and received a pension, when applying to be an insured person under Section 39 to continue to receive pensions.
5.3 In the case that the insured person is no longer under Section 33 and applies to be an insured person under Section 39, the calculation of the pension should use the salary base from Section 33.
5.4 When the insured person receives a pension, the right to medical treatment is maintained throughout life.
5.5 In the case that the insured person receives medical treatment for serious and chronic diseases, such as all types of cancer, it shall cover the use of medication and medical treatment as recommended by the doctor.
5.6 Extend the age of insured persons from the original 15-60 years to 15-70 years to accommodate the aging society.
6. The government, through the Ministry of Labor, shall ensure that establishments with contract employees strictly comply with the Labor Protection Act B.E. 2541 (1998), Section 11/1.
7. The government shall elevate the Labor Safety Division to the Department of Labor Safety.
8. The Minister of Labor shall Amend the Ministerial Regulation No. 7 dated August 22, 1998, Ministerial Regulation No. 8 dated September 14, 1998, and Ministerial Regulation No. 13 dated January 27, 2000, all three of which were issued under the Labor Protection Act of 1998, which contain provisions that disqualify monthly employees who work overtime from receiving 1.5 times the overtime pay, the same as daily employees, which the Minister of Labor has acknowledged and agreed to make amendments in advance.
9. The Minister of Labor has appointed a working group to follow up on the demands for National Labor Day 2025.