As we bid farewell to 2023 and embraced the new year of 2024, JELI missed the opportunity to extend our wishes for a happy New Year. However, we seize this month of Songkran to wish everyone a joyous Thai New Year. Over the past four months, JELI has remained steadfast in our commitment to promoting labor rights.
Following the election in May, the Pheu Thai Party eventually managed to take the lead in forming the government. In terms of labor rights policies that the Pheu Thai Party has advocated for, many of them remain uncertain in terms of implementation. Therefore, it is essential for the general public to continue monitoring the government and its agendas – to ensure that the party follows through on the promises made to the public.
July has passed, marking itself as another turning point in the thorny road of modern Thai political history.
After the recent national elections held on May 14th, the Move Forward Party, a coalition joined by those who hold progressive views and a firm belief in democratic principles, has emerged as a prominent force in the complex landscape of modern Thai political history.
June has come and gone, marking a significant month for the LGBTIQ+ community, commonly known as Pride Month. During this month, many countries, including Thailand, organized various events such as Pride parades to celebrate the long- standing fight and struggles for the rights of the community.
May has passed, which is considered a significant month because May 1st of every year is International Workers’ Day. Numerous civil society organizations and labor groups organized marches and panel discussions to celebrate this milestone. For platform-based riders, symbolic demonstrations took place in various locations nationwide to demand labor rights and benefits, including fair round-trip compensation, the right to accident insurance, and more.
April has passed – a month known for having one of the longest holiday streaks in a year in which many people tried to make the most out of. As for the labor-related issues, there are two interesting topics to discuss.
In March 2023, the main activity organized by #JELI was a seminar to exchange policy ideas to protect the rights of platform workers. In addition, there are other significant labor-related news topics that should be put in consideration.
The 2 month of 2023 has passed, with news and updates on the workers’ rights situation in Thailand that should be put into consideration
The first month of 2023 has passed, with several crucial events and issues related to labor in Thailand to be considered,
The year 2022 was behind us! In the last month of 2022, JELI and partners offered a series of training including technological training, “Introducing the CONNECT application developed by the GLP-POWER Project, digital well-being workshop, and campaign design workshop. Between 11 – 13 December 2022, 28 riders from across Thailand learned about labor rights issues, and technological and technical tools necessary for running campaigns, as well as joined the digital and physical well-being workshops to navigate their inner emotion and settle it with peace.
As the New Year approaches, the situation of delivery riders’ rights remains an issue of concern. This past November, rider groups in Bangkok and surrounding provinces came out in protest of Grab’s unfair employment policies, demanding policy changes from the company as well as government assistance and oversight on the matter. The company stated that they would consider the demands and reply within 14 days, but no changes have occurred.
In September, JELI has good news! We welcome a new member who has joined our team to strengthen the trade and migration program with a special focus on anti-SLAPPs with workers activists and trade unionists. JELI also hosts grassroots groups from across the country in our event organized to share the baseline survey findings on situations, challenges, and organizing activities of the gig workers. Based on this exciting progress, JELI will work more closely with the grassroots to design campaigns for the protection of their rights and recognition of their status in the coming months of 2022.
