Wage hike measures to be proposed
The Labour Ministry will propose that the government help the business sector pay the difference between the old wage rate and the new Bt300 minimum wage for three years, labour permanent secretary Dr Somkiat Chayasriwong said yesterday.
Five new measures will be proposed at Friday’s meeting of the committee on alleviating the impact of the nationwide Bt300 minimum wage, which is chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong.
The measures include hotel and accommodation fee discounts for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); labour-skills development mobile clinics; an increase in the expense allowance for seminars; and the arrangement of low-priced product caravans for workers at business establishments.
Under the assistance plan, the government would pay 75 per cent of the difference between the old and new wage rate in 2013, 50 per cent in 2014 and 25 per cent in 2015, Somkiat said.
There are some 300,000 SMEs paying social security distribution in the 70 provinces where the new minimum wage will come into effect on January 1, meaning the government would have to pay Bt50 billion to make up the difference. Details of the payment process and method remained unclear.