Small and medium-sized business owners are set to convene a meeting with the prime ministerial candidate of the Move Forward Party (MFP) later this month to discuss a proposal aimed at increasing the minimum wage.
The Federation of Thai SMEs has announced that a meeting is scheduled with Pita Limjaroenrat, the prime ministerial candidate of the MFP, on June 13. The main focus of the meeting will revolve around Limjaroenrat’s proposal to raise the minimum wage to 450 baht per day. This wage hike was a prominent policy put forth by the MFP during their election campaign, with a commitment to implementing the new rate within their first 100 days in office.
Norathep Boonkep, Secretary-General of the Federation of Thai SMEs, acknowledged that the proposed wage increase could have a significant impact on business owners who are already grappling with high operational costs. Currently, SMEs employ over 12 million workers across the country.
However, Norathep clarified that the federation is not outright opposing the proposal. Instead, they hope to engage in comprehensive discussions and utilize the existing trilateral mechanism to determine an appropriate rate. Furthermore, the federation expressed their interest in implementing skill-based wages, as highly skilled workers can greatly contribute to the advancement of the business sector.
Norathep also highlighted the ongoing recovery of SMEs from the pandemic and expressed optimism about the economic outlook for the second half of the year. The resurgence of the tourism sector has played a significant role in fostering this positive outlook.
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