"Pipat", Minister of Labor, reiterates that the minimum wage will be raised to 400 baht by this year, stating that he has no power to pressure the BOT to send representatives to discuss the tripartite because it is the governor's power. He is preparing to discuss with the Prime Minister after the baht's strength affects exports. Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Labor, talked about the progress of the minimum wage increase to 400 baht, saying that currently, the tripartite committee, in terms of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labor and the Director-General of the Department of Labor Protection and Welfare (DLPW), has retired, so it must wait for an official appointment. As for the Permanent Secretary, he will come in by position, while the new Director-General of the DLPW will be proposed to the Cabinet for consideration next week, which is already in mind. However, it must be seen whether the Development of Thailand will use the same period to consider sending a new representative to th e committee or using the same person because they still have the right until March 2025. When asked when the minimum wage adjustment framework would be moved, Mr. Pipat said that due to the current situation, the announcement of the minimum wage increase is sympathetic to the tripartite committee, which is still experiencing obstacles on both the employer and employee sides. Therefore, it is necessary to postpone the announcement of the wage increase, which was originally scheduled to be on time on October 1, 2024. However, because the baht is currently very strong and exports are difficult, the matter must be discussed with the prime minister again. However, he confirmed that the minimum wage increase will continue to be pushed forward to 400 baht and must be within this year. When the committee is ready, it will be carried out again. When asked if he could pressure the BOT to clarify the representatives of the Tripartite Committee, Mr. Pipat confirmed that he could not do so because it was the authority o f the BOT governor. However, this morning, he had talked to the new Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labor to take action on this matter in order to coordinate with the BOT and request discussions to create clarity. Source: Thai News Agency
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