Prawit seeks hike in minimum wage for 17 professions
Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan has urged the Cabinet to consider increasing the minimum wage of skilled workers in 17 fields, in addition to the 16 fields for which a new wage rate was approved in June last year.
Prawit’s spokesman, General Kongcheep Tantravanich, said on Tuesday that the deputy PM was concerned about workers in these 17 professions not receiving wage adjustment to acknowledge their skills. He, therefore, wanted the Cabinet to prioritise these groups.
Prawit also told the Labour Ministry to study the possibility of adjusting the wages of workers in 112 other professions by testing their skills under respective industrial standards and comparing it with the market conditions.
“The move is aimed at raising the minimum wage to reflect workers’ true skills and in line with the current economic situation,” said Kongcheep.
On June 9, 2022, the Labour Ministry approved a hike in minimum wage for 16 skilled professions, namely: gypsum roofer, construction blueprint drafter, floor and wall tiler, building painter, lightweight concrete installer, jewellery maker, traditional jewellery maker, furniture installer, Nielloware maker, massage therapist, baker, receptionist, hotel and restaurant server, women’s hairdresser, men’s hairdresser, and caregivers for the elderly.
