The Workers’ Union and the Myanmar migrant worker network Bright Future staged a small gathering last Friday (7 October) to mark the World Day for Decent Work, to demand protection of labour rights and an increase in the minimum wage.

Participants in the gathering took a group photo in front of the United Nations building.

The gathering took place in front of the United Nations headquarters on Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue. The Workers’ Union and Bright Future were joined by a group of migrant workers from Cambodia and representatives of other worker groups, such as platform workers, including food delivery riders and housekeepers, and workers in the nighttime entertainment industry.

After a series of speeches, the groups read out a statement calling for the Thai authorities to protect workers’ freedom of association and their rights to organize and collective bargaining by ratifying the International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions No. 87 and 98, and to raise the minimum wage to at least 732 baht per day in every province.

Representatives of the groups read out the statement.

The statement says that 7 October of every year is designated the World Day for Decent Work to call for justice for workers everywhere and to demand fair employment, safe working conditions, and the right to organize. It also says that workers in Thailand face violations of labour rights and unfair working conditions, while many became unemployed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

They also called for workers in every sector to be protected under the same labour law, and for an election to be organized for the social security board within 2022 and to grant migrant workers the right to vote in the election. The Thai authorities must also end violations of labour rights and support democratic principles both in Thailand and overseas.

A network of labour rights organizations gathered in Chiang Mai

Meanwhile, a network of labour rights organizations in the northern provinces also held an event to mark the World Day for Decent Work. They also issued a statement calling for the Thai government to ratify ILO conventions No. 87, 98, 189, and 190 to protect freedom of association, the rights to organize and collective bargaining, to ensure the right of domestic workers to a safe and healthy working environment, and to eliminate violence and harassment in the workplace.

The government must also adjust the minimum wage to match the rising cost of living, ensure fair wages, and solve the issue of precarious employment and misclassification of workers in the platform economy as contractors or freelancers. It must also make sure policies regarding migrant workers are in line with human right principles, free of discrimination, and transparent, and ensure the participation of every sector in the policy-making process. Every worker must also be covered by the social security scheme, and the government must repeal the law criminalizing sex work as well as amend the current labour law to protect workers in the service sector.