Pita Discusses Minimum Wage Raise with Chamber of Commerce
At the press conference, Pita met with the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, Sanan Angubolkul, for a two-hour meeting. He said that Move Forward is currently discussing 13 topics with the chamber, including the Eastern Economic Corridor, the Bio-Green Energy Economy (BCG) model, the economics of international trade, the energy price structure, and the minimum wage mechanism.
He added that further details will be discussed, and the purpose of today's meeting was to inform the private sector about the progress of the formation of a coalition government, as well as to listen to the views of entrepreneurs.
Sanan, chairman of the chamber, noted that the discussions were creative and interesting, and they now better understand the plans of the coalition government and see its determination. He stressed that several of the coalition government's reform proposals are in line with the chamber's policies, and he sees many excellent opportunities for cooperation with the government.
In turn, Pita confirmed that the increase in the minimum wage will be implemented after careful discussion with all stakeholders. He noted that this is not only an economic task, but also a social mechanism that guarantees the fairness of the economic system.
Pita and Sanan also agreed to appoint a representative from each side to facilitate cooperation. Move Forward Deputy Chairman Sirikani Tansakun will represent them, while the House will be represented by its general secretary, Kitsana Vachekrilas.
Pay raises must match performance: University of Thailand Chamber of Commerce
Director of the International Trade Research Center at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Prof. Att Pisarnvanich, proposed splitting the Move Forward party's proposed 450 baht salary adjustment into three tiers:
- Tier 1: For farmers, the minimum wage must be 400 baht per day.
- Tier 2: For industrial workers, the minimum wage must be 425 baht per day.
- Level 3: For service businesses such as information technology, finance, entertainment and construction, wages must be a minimum of 450 baht per day depending on the skill level of the worker.
The government also needs to simultaneously take action to stimulate the economy by increasing spending and reducing production costs such as water and electricity as a result of raising the minimum daily wage.
At the same time, it is necessary to accelerate the transition of the manufacturing sector to industries focused on innovation, creativity, research and development, advanced technologies and green technologies (the so-called "Thailand 4.0") to create value-added products and facilitate access to loans for small enterprises. in need of funding.
Entrepreneurs urge next government to be cautious about wage hikes
Chamber of Commerce Chairman Sanan Angubolkul said the private sector was unsure about rising costs due to electricity prices and the Move Forward party's promise to raise the minimum wage to 450 baht a day.
He noted that these two items of expenditure directly affect entrepreneurs and the increase in the minimum wage can lead to job losses if the increase is too fast.
He said the House had advised the Move Forward-led coalition that seeks to become the next government on the need to raise the minimum wage depending on the economic situation and noted that the economy has not yet fully recovered from the pandemic.
He also pointed out that each province has a mechanism to consider wage increases. Sanan expects commodity prices to decline slightly this year due to lower energy costs, especially global fuel prices. He also advised the new government to stimulate the economy by promoting exports and tourism, and attracting foreign investment.
Such efforts will help build the confidence of Thai and foreign investors and allow the Thai economy to continue to expand without interruption, Sanan said.
Author of the article: Ekaterina Antonova
