The 2 month of 2023 has passed, with news and updates on the workers’ rights situation in Thailand that should be put into consideration, including:
- The death of an employee in a television media company as a result of overwork raised questions amongst the public on the meaning of labor rights and how it was neglected in the real world.
- Lalamove’s riders have filed complaints to Channel 3 television station, demanding their company to revise the unfair payment regulations and policies.
- “Sitthichok”, a rider who was prosecuted under Section 112 for allegedly burning the king and queen royal portraits on the pedestals during the pro-democracy gathering, has been released from detention after a total hunger strike of 25 days.
- Line Man’s platform riders from various areas gathered in front of the company’s headquarter to demand their rights and protest against the policy of reducing fare compensation.
JELI has also sent representatives to participate in various training and conference events in different locations, including:
- Internal meeting with the Southern Thailand Rider Association
- Administrative training on the management of the application CONNECT – a new tool to help strengthen the knowledge of labor rights and improve global workforce relations.
- Roundtable discussion on how the media presents and communicates platform labor rights issues – trend and public perception.
- Dr. Kriangsak Teerakowitkajorn, the director, participated as a trainer for youth representatives from various countries in ASEAN in the YOUNG ASEAN LEADERS POLICY INITIATIVE – YALPI program.
- Dr. Kriangsak participated as a speaker in the public forum “8 YEARS UNDER UNJUST RULING: SCRUTINIZING ON THE STATE OF ABNORMALITY IN THAILAND” held at Thammasat University, Tha Phra Chan campus, providing knowledge and insights on labor-related issues.
In February, JELI posted creative media works designed in collaboration with the Creative Union of Thailand (CUT) as part of the GLP-POWER project. On March 18th, JELI will host a public discussion event “This is what you see” and “This is what happens” Platforms Riders 2023: Exchanging Ideas and Campaigns on the Policies to Reinforce Safety Working Condition and Protection of Rights in the Workplace. The event will invite representatives of riders from various areas to speak out and reflect on the problems encountered in their work. A group discussion through the perspective of young media influencers on labor rights, followed by the presentation of policies by political parties to protect the rights of this group.
Important News
THE DEATH OF AN EMPLOYEE IN A MEDIA COMPANY CAUSED BY OVERWORK SPARKED CRITICISM AMONGST THE PUBLIC AND DISCUSSION ABOUT LABOR RIGHTS
Credit: BBC THAI
On February 5th, 2023, the Facebook page “Jor Dup” posted that a worker at a television station in Thailand, Sarawut Srisawat or “Bird,” died at his workplace due to a heart attack caused by overwork and lack of rest. Later it was revealed that he worked for the TNN news agency under True Corporation.
The page also revealed the working conditions that this employee had to face, stating that he had to work overtime, some weeks working more than 5 days, and some weeks every day. Eventually, his body started to fall apart and he became sick. Bird had previously posted a message on his personal Facebook reflecting the difficulties he faced at his work before his death.
The next day, the company sent an internal letter to all employees expressing their condolences for what had happened. They also announced that they would compensate Bird’s family with a salary equivalent to 24 months of his current salary, along with health and accident insurance and saved-up money from the social security fund. Additionally, the company offered to host the funeral.
This post of unsettling truth from the Jor Dup Facebook page had gone viral on online media. On February 7th, the news station TNN released a statement regarding the page, which was the source of the story, stating that there are “false claims / incorrect information” in several areas, and requested that the post be removed, otherwise legal action may be taken. As a result, the page was forced to delete the post.
The incident sparked a heated debate in Thai society regarding workers’ rights. Some believe that if faced with such a situation, employees should quit and look for a new job rather than unnecessarily endure it. On the other hand, some argue that employees who have to endure difficult and overtime work do so because they have burdens in their lives, and finding a new job in a struggling economy is not easy. The society is divided into two opposing sides, reflecting different attitudes and values toward work.
LALAMOVE’S PLATFORM RIDERS GAVE COMPLAINTS TO CHANNEL 3, CALLING FOR CHANGES IN THE COMPANY’S REMUNERATION POLICIES
Credit: สหภาพไรเดอร์ – Freedom Rider Union (Facebook)
On February 9th, 2023, the Lalamove platform’s rider groups gathered to file a complaint to TV Media – Channel 3 – regarding their unjust circumstance caused by the company’s policies including:
- The increase of deduction fee (commission) from 18% to 20%, not including the additional 3% tax deduction.
- The starting service fee to draw in customers has resulted in a lower income for riders, as their money made per drop is deducted to compensate for the promotion.
- Changes in regulations have been made without consent from the riders.
- Cancelation of the fixed delivery fee of 475 baht, which is unfair to the workers.
“SITTHICHOK,” THE RIDER WHO WAS CHARGED WITH SECTION 112 (Lèse-majesté) AND DETAINED, HAS BEEN RELEASED AFTER 25-DAYS OF HUNGER STRIKE
On February 10th, 2023, the Supreme Court issued an order allowing for the temporary release on bail, set at 130,000 baht, of Sitthichok Saet-Tha-Sawet, a former rider for a platform company, the reason being that he has no intention to flee as well as the non-severity of the punishment.
He was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months in prison by a lower court for allegedly pouring a flammable liquid resembling gasoline to fuel a fire on already-burning pedestals of the King and Queen portraits. After delivering the verdict, the lower court sent him to jail without bail. His lawyer tried to request bail several times to the court of appeal but was denied. Eventually, the lawyer appealed the decision of the court of appeal to the supreme court, which eventually granted him bail.
He was detained for a total of 25 days during which he also went on a hunger strike as a symbolic fight for demanding the right to bail for political prisoners. Consequently, He fell ill before being sent to Thammasat Hospital for treatment.
‘LINE MAN’ RIDERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY STAGED A MAJOR GATHERING IN FRONT OF THE COMPANY HEADQUARTERS, CALLING FOR A CHANGE IN COMPENSATION POLICY AND ACCESS TO WORKERS” RIGHTS
On February 22nd, 2023, in front of the T-ONE office building located in Thonglor area of Bangkok, which is the main office of Line Man – a delivery platform, riders from various areas across the country gathered to voice out their 5 demands, calling for a change in company’s policies, and reflect on work-related issues. The purpose of this gathering was to make the company’s management aware of these issues and take action to address them.
For riders who traveled to Bangkok, it is initially known that there are groups from both Bangkok itself and other provinces in each region, totaling around 8 provinces. This gathering is a major one which many riders came to express their solidarity. Before the 22nd, some groups submitted complaint letters through the advisor of the minister of labor requesting support and sent representatives to file complaints with several government agencies.
In addition, there were also previous gatherings held in different regions prior to the main one in Bangkok to support the demands, such as the gathering in Kamphaeng Phet province on February 10th and the gathering of rider groups in Chachoengsao province on February 19th.
Their demands are as follows:
- Suspend the policy to reduce the fare rate compensation riders made per round on March 1st, 2023, and allow negotiation between riders and the company to conclude the appropriate fare rate in all areas.
- Cancel overlapping orders for cases where the distance between each order is too far apart, causing riders to wait for a long time. The application’s navigation system is also inaccurate, as a result, riders had no other choice but to waste more time traveling. Moreover, the fare rate compensation for accepting overlapping orders is lower than the normal one, and not in line with the cost that riders have to pay.
- Limit the distance that riders have to travel to deliver food to within 2 – 3 kilometers. If the delivery distance is too far, riders should be allowed to cancel the order themselves without waiting for the system’s approval. A solution is to develop a program to calculate the distance.
- Regarding the scoring and percentage of accepting orders, there should be flexibility. Riders who do not meet the criteria should not receive a permanent account suspension.
- Improve the system and the process of claiming accident insurance payout to make it more convenient for riders. Currently, the process is complicated, causing some riders to choose not to proceed.
On the same day, Line Company sent a letter to the Rider group acknowledging their proposals. Regarding the issue of overlapping work – batch work, the company explained that it is a policy also used in many countries to avoid having to hire new riders, which would affect the income of existing riders.
However, on February 27th, riders staged another gathering in front of the company’s main office to follow up on the negotiation results. However, the results from the negotiation did not meet all of the riders’ demands.
Meetings and Seminars
INTERNAL MEETING WITH THE SOUTHERN THAILAND RIDER ASSOCIATION (สมาคมไรเดอร์ภาคใต้)
On February 5th, 2023, JELI’s representative, Ms. Aranya Pakaphat, the Project Coordinator, along with two representatives from the leading platform rider associations in Bangkok, traveled to attend a meeting with the Southern Thailand Rider Association in Songkhla Province. The meeting was attended by 11 members of the association’s committee to discuss the next steps in promoting and protecting the rights of workers. It was an internal meeting of the group to discuss these matters.
According to the discussion, it has been reported that female riders in the southern region account for approximately 40 percent of the total number of riders, which is around 50,000 people. The province of Trang has the highest number of female riders, accounting for 50 percent.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, many women who used to work in the tourism industry had to change their professions as tourism declined. Many of them turned to becoming riders as an alternative. After learning this information, JELI proposed to support and strengthen the capacity of the group of female workers and identified in which way we can work together in advocating for the change as well as the protection of rights while building leverage in negotiation with the platform company.
ADMINISTRATIVE TRAINING FOR THE APPLICATION – CONNECT – A NEW TOOL TO CONNECT WORKFORCE FROM AROUND THE WORLD
On February 6th, 2023, JELI officials participated in an administrative training session for the CONNECT application with representatives from various civil society organizations from different countries. The said application was developed through collaboration between PRAGYA and Solidar Suisse organizations with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The CONNECT application is an app that connects global workers together and provides a platform for communication among them. In addition to being a chat platform, the app also provides educational content on workers’ rights, training on advocating for workers’ rights, and a space for updating news on the global labor movement.
Currently, the CONNECT app is in its final stage of development, which involves adapting the user interface menus to the language of each country to make it easier to understand. For Thailand, JELI officials will be responsible for maintaining the system in the country.
ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION TO REFLECT ON THE ISSUE OF PLATFORM WORKERS’ RIGHTS PORTRAYED AND REPRESENTED BY THE MEDIAS
On February 7th, 2023, JELI partnered with Pansuk Production Company hosting a discussion where several media representatives were invited to exchange ideas on their role in presenting news related to the labor rights of platform workers, from past to present. The event aimed to explore how the public perceives this issue, challenges in communication, and ways in crafting effective campaigning strategies through media to achieve tangible change.
This discussion was held as a part of the main event “‘This is what you see” and ‘This is what happens’ Platforms Riders 2023: Exchanging Ideas and Campaigns on the Policies to Reinforce Safety Working Condition and Protection of Rights in the Workplace”. The event will be held at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) on March 18th, 2023, from 1.30 to 4.00 p.m. Rider representatives will be invited to share their work-related issues, exchange perspectives, and provide insights for political party representatives to campaign for policy changes. For more information, please follow JELI’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
During the discussion that took place on February 7th, representatives from various media outlets including Rocket Media Lab, Prachatai, The Matter, DECODE, and TODAY shared insights and highlighted concerns about presenting information related to platforms workers’ rights. Each representative reflected on the challenges they faced, particularly in terms of the limited capacity of the workforce. Rocket Media Lab, for example, collected detailed statistical data on labor platform strikes, but the data could not be presented through mainstream media as effectively as it should be.
There are various attitudes within society towards this issue, both positive and negative. It is not clear how much overall support society provides. Even the general public does not fully understand the relationship between platform company policies and gig workers, which determines the nature of work, such as job acceptance, pay rate, and working hours.
The approach that should be used to present such information is necessary to touch and influence people’s emotions, create a connection between the platform workers’ rights as one of the rights that should be treated equally to the rights of other types of workers – something that is related to society as a whole that cannot be separated.
YOUNG ASEAN LEADERS POLICY INITIATIVE – YALPI
On February 8th, 2023, Dr. Kriangsak Teerakowitkajorn, Managing Director of JELI, joined the policy recommendation workshop as a mentor for young delegates from various ASEAN countries, hosted by Young ASEAN Leaders Policy Initiative – YALPI. The workshop focuses on 2 issues: digital inclusion and food security, with 6 mentor experts to guide participants in navigating the issues. As for JELI’s representative, his main focus will be the topic of digital inclusion, to provide a better understanding of the regional contextual situation and technical knowledge for crafting concrete recommendations for a change.
PUBLIC FORUM “8 YEARS UNDER UNJUST RULING: SCRUTINIZING ON THE STATE OF ABNORMALITY IN THAILAND” HOSTED AT THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY, THA PHRA CHAN CAMPUS
On February 18th, 2023, Dr. Kriangsak Tiarakowitkajorn, the director of JELI, joined as a guest speaker in a public forum titled “8 Years Under Unjust Ruling: Scrutinizing on The State of Abnormality in Thailand” held at the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, Thammasat University, Tha Phra Chan campus. The forum discussed the loss of rights that Thai workers have experienced over the past 8 years under the government of Prayut Chan-o-cha.
In brief, Dr. Kriangsak highlighted the state of labor policy under the government of Prime Minister Prayut, which neglected the rights of laborers. The increase in minimum wages was not in line with the cost of living and inflation rate, leaving workers vulnerable to exploitation and pressure from the ‘lazy capitalism’, which is characteristics of the economy that disciplines labor but leaving the capital run amok. This trend was part of the longer trend of state’s strategies of disciplining the workforce through wage suppression, along side violence and repression, that results in a weaker labor movement in Thailand.
Watch online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Juf3iRpkQHg
JELI’s Medias and Publications
SERIES OF CREATIVE MEDIAS FROM THE GLP-POWER PROGRAM
In February, JELI collaborated with the Creative Union of Thailand (CUT) under the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) releasing a series of creative media pieces to present and provide information on platforms workers’ rights to create awareness on a wider scale. The information was presented in an easily understandable format, consisting of four short cartoons reflecting unequal conditions that workers face, one poster explaining the legal loophole that denies rights to these workers, a five-pieces infographic providing knowledge on labor laws and other insights.
There was also a one video clip providing information on the deeper aspects of this profession – what workers have been facing when they are not protected under labor laws, and three pieces of three-fold pamphlet with information on labor laws also and proper worker’s rights as defined by international human rights standard.
To view all of the works, please visit: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uFgWVK_jnjPWuyKRtKaB5Dh2Hppn1mdG?usp=sharing