Vote on Thai wage hike reaches stalemate

A nationwide wage hike has encountered another delay, with the crucial planned vote on the issue reaching a stalemate after a tripartite wage committee member was poised to lose his seat.
The 400-baht wage hike proposal was scheduled for a vote by the committee on Friday. However, a lack of quorum led to the meeting being adjourned and rescheduled to Tuesday.
Several employee and government representatives on the 15-member committee did not attend the Friday meeting. At least two-thirds, or 10 members, are required to be present for the wage vote to proceed.
According to a source, only nine members attended the meeting, while six — four from the government and two from the employee side — were absent. All five employer representatives were present. A fresh twist has emerged that threatens to further delay the wage vote.
Labour permanent secretary Pairoj Chotikasathien said on Saturday that Methee Supapong, representing the Bank of Thailand (BoT) and a government member of the committee, had retired from public service a year ago.
The committee wrote to the BoT to ask about Mr Methee’s employment status. The BoT replied on Friday, confirming that he no longer represents the agency in any legal capacity and the BoT is not liable for his actions. As a result, Mr Pairoj said, Mr Methee no longer holds a seat on the committee, creating a vacancy that could cause the wage vote to be delayed beyond the Tuesday meeting.
He emphasised that all 15 committee members must be present for the wage vote to take place. “We must wait for that,” he added.
Mr Methee retired last year but has remained on the committee since. In the early months of his retirement, the BoT continued to endorse Mr Methee’s role as its representative. However, Friday’s reply from the BoT effectively removed him from that position.
“In practice, [Mr Methee] should refrain from attending meetings and allow someone else to take his place,” Mr Pairoj said.
However, finding a replacement will take some time. The cabinet is responsible for appointing Mr Methee’s successor, a process that could take up to 15 days. Once the cabinet approves the replacement, and the appointment is announced in the Royal Gazette, the tripartite committee can call a wage meeting within a week. By that time, Mr Pairoj himself will have retired, as the new fiscal year begins on Oct 1.
Mr Pairoj declined to comment on reports that Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, director of the Trade Policy and Strategy Office under the Commerce Ministry, and one of the four government representatives absent from the wage meeting, had travelled to the Labour Ministry to attend the Friday meeting only to leave after being informed that the quorum was not met. Had he entered the meeting, the quorum would have been fulfilled, a source said.