Thai labour minister joins workers to mark May Day

BANGKOK, May 1 (TNA) - Thai Labour Minister Chalermchai Sri-on led representatives of his ministry's officials and local workers to march, amid downpours, from the Royal Plaza to the front yard of Bangkok’s City Hall on Sunday to mark the National Labour Day and the International Workers' Day, also known as the May Day.

Before the march, Chalermchai led the officials and workers to offer alms to Buddhist monks at the Royal Plaza in the morning. Then they marched on Ratchadamnoen Avenue to the headquarters of the City Hall to attend the opening ceremony of the National Labour Day event, chaired by Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Meanwhile, Chinchote Saengsang, chairman of the National Labour Day organising committee, said that local workers have already filed nine demands with the Thai government, the priority of which is a daily minimum wage hike, as the government has promised to raise the minimum wages nationwide by 25 per cent in two years.

Chinchote also urged the Thai government to control goods prices after the wage increase and to ratify Convention Nos. 87 and 98 of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on workers’ rights to form their labour organisations.

Chinchote also called for the 20-year-old Social Security Office (SSO) to modernise itself and to set up day care centers at workplaces.(TNA)