Labour advocates and human rights activists converged on Government House on Monday, calling on the government to raise the daily minimum wage to 700 baht and set up a fund to support laid-off workers.
The protesters, led by political activists Somyot Prueksakasemsuk and Thanaporn Wichian, marched to Phitsanulok Mansion and Government House in an effort to push their proposals to the government.
According to Ms Thanaportn, the proposal contained ideas which wouldn't only improve labourers' welfare but also increase their bargaining power with their employers.
If approved, she said, the proposal will not only allow workers to cover their daily living costs, but also better protect their rights as an employee, noting current rules do not provide sufficient protection for workers.
A different group led by the Labour Congress of Thailand (LCT) also organised a march on Monday, which started at Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge to Lan Khon Muang in front of City Hall.
After praising the Ministry of Labour's work over the past 2.5 years, Chinchote Saengsang, LCT president, read out the group's seven demands, which include the establishment of risk insurance for workers and allowing subscribers to monitor the performance of the state's social security scheme for workers.
The group also urged increasing pension payout from 3,000 baht a month to 5,000 baht a month in order to better match the real expenditures of the average labourer.
Furthermore, they asked the government to sign two International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions and follow up on the government's promise to increase the daily wage to 425 baht a day, which it made ahead of the 2019 election, he said.
In the last general election campaign, similar promises were made by several parties. The ruling Palang Pracharath Party pledged to raise the daily wage to between 400 and 425 baht, a promise which has yet to be fulfilled. Meanwhile, Pheu Thai back then promised voters it would increase the amount to 400 baht per day.
Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin promised that the ministry would implement all of the proposals if he were selected to return to office.
He also said the ministry is looking into raising the pension payout.
