An announcement of an increased minimum wage came at the end of August, but will it actually improve workers’ quality of life when the cost of living keeps increasing at higher rates? Take a look at JELI’s August newsletter to find out more about what issues workers are facing at the moment.
Research
GLP-POWER
JELI is still in the process of carrying out the Global Labor Project – Platform for Organization by Workers for Empowerment and Recognition (GLP-POWER), with the goal of organizing informal workers to bargain for better working conditions. This month, we analyzed the results of our questionnaire which received more than 600 responses, and conducted a focus group discussion with delivery riders from Chiang Mai, Chonburi, Bangkok, and the Southern Association of Riders, as well as women platform-based care workers and sex workers.
We plan to release the findings of our questionnaire on 9 September 2022 from 8:00 am – 12:00 pm at the Asia Hotel. Stay tuned!
Projects
Field Study
JELI joined representatives of platform-based women workers in field studies with two prominent labor organizations, to exchange their experiences of organizing work. These were the Migrant Workers Rights Network (MWRN) on 18 August 2022 and the Labor Union of Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (LU-EGAT) on 25 August 2022.
Around 10 labor leaders in platform work shared what issues they face in their work and possible solutions to these issues. They also discussed approaches to organizing a sustainable labor union such as how to conduct organizational management and collect membership dues.
News
Raise in Minimum Wage
On 26 August, the 21st Wage Committee of the Ministry of Labor made a resolution to raise the minimum wage by 5.02 percent. This is an average increase of 8-22 THB per day, bringing the minimum wage to 328-354 THB per day. The average wage is highest in Chonburi, Rayong, and Phuket provinces. In Bangkok, wages were increased from 331 to 353 THB per day. These new rates will become effective on 1 October 2022. However, as the comparison of the living costs (below) shows, the wage increase is out of step with the rise in living costs.
New to the JELI Team
Advisor for JELI’s women gig workers’ organizing strategies
JELI is pleased to welcome a new member to our team. Aranya Pakapat is a labor rights activist with extensive experience in labor organizing, with healthcare workers as well as subcontracted and other precarious workers. She has also worked with international labor organizations such as industriALL and ICEM.
Aranya will be serving as advisor to JELI in our project to support the organizing of platform-based women workers, which includes women delivery riders who are overpowered by the majority of male riders, as well as newly organized massage therapists and domestic workers.