The IYCW ASPAC extension worker conducted his regular-annual field mission in Thailand from June 2-29, 2024. It aims to follow up the recommendations identified by the extension commission in 2023, including the development of local leaders who will focus in the organizing work and development of action using the SEE-JUDGE-ACT method. In addition, meeting with adult YCW in Thailand are parallel important during the visit to guarantee their support in the field of analysis, action, formation and training, methodology, coordination and finance.

Training and formation of leaders

To strengthen the understanding of the local leaders on YCW basic documents (TOE, DOP, ROLWA), the extension worker provided a training on the Review of Life and Worker Action (ROLWA). It helps and enables leaders to understand the process and methodology of action used by YCW. This capacitates them to start the process of organizing and forming base group with the objective of identifying collective and militant action.

Thanks to the support of adult YCW who volunteered to translate the three basic documents of the IYCW. 

Meanwhile, the local leader has been given tasks of organizing, visiting and holding base group meetings, facilitating educational spaces, directing actions in base groups, and how to have a national coordination team in the future.

Role and responsibility of the key leaders in Thailand

Organizing young workers is the main responsibility of Toey, the leader who have assumed responsibility in building up the YCW Thailand. Together with the team, they have targeted five groups of young workers aiming to form them as base groups of YCW.

1.     Young factor workers in Suzuki Factory

2.     Young factory workers in Kurabo Factory

3.     Young factory worker in Kawazumi Factory

4.     Sanitary workers in the factories

5.     Online platform workers

In addition to organizing young people in their workplaces, local leaders must also be active in attending seminar invitations, education and training, and mass mobilization organize by the networks. 

Evaluation on development on organizing and action shall be coordinated with the IYCW ASPAC extension worker.

The gig economy workers in Thailand

We took some time to meet with the online platform drivers under the flyover of the Future Park Supermarket in Rangsit district. We introduced ourselves and had an informal discussion on their reality and the challenges they are facing. 

The online platform economy has been steadily growing in Thailand since the pandemic. Many young people have been attracted to this kind of job since according to them does not require a college degree. Some of them are coming from the rural communities nearby Bangkok and trying to find luck in the capital. The income is based on the number of customers you have served on a day-to-day basis.  There are certain percentage that goes to the workers and there are percentage goes to the online apps company. 

The unsecured income is on one hand a challenge and on the other hand is the lack of Social Protection (in the form of social security and health insurance). In Thailand, there is no regulations yet specifically to protect platform or gig workers. The question of “Who is the employer” remains unanswered.

Like in many other countries in South-East Asia the world, platform work is interpreted as “a hire of services” rather than an employment contract. Without the ‘employee’ status, platform workers are not granted law protection under the Thai Labor Protection Act and the Labor Relations Act, which define policies on minimum wages, benefits, working conditions, and the right to association, in which a regular worker have.

The factory workers in the motor industry

From the beginning of 2024 up to now, official report indicated that more than 1700 factories have closed their operations in Thailand. An example of this pressing situation is the recent announcement made by one of the main automobile manufacturing companies in Thailand, the Suzuki, which stated that they will close their factory by the end of 2024. 

Last June 22, 2024, YCW Thailand has been invited to attend the Annual General Assembly of the Suzuki Labor Union. The union administrators explained the current issues of the company, where around 800 workers are threatened with termination of employment. The reason for this termination of employment was due to the decline of the company’s car production because Thai market has a strong pressure-demand of electric cars made in China. With politicians’ consent, electric car products from China entered Thailand on a large scale.

Perspective and Way forward

As a movement of young workers, we are committed to continue to analyze the fast-changing situation that the young workers are facing every day, may in their daily work or in their daily life. From our in-debt analysis, may we find a true solution addressing the root of our problems. 

For the manufacturing and industry workers, this condition must be addressed together, not as the sole responsibility of the labor union, but with the involvement of the company and of the government.  Stakeholders must be responsible for finding solutions to the problems that currently threaten the future of the workers and their families.

While there has been a continuing debate on the employment status of gig workers in almost every part of the world, our vision as YCW is to recognize platform drivers as employees of platform companies. It is important to establish a legal definition of platform workers to be regarded as “employees”, so that they will be given benefits according to the mandate of the law. For the while being, it is essential for the platform workers to be covered by the Social Protection Scheme of the country considering the hazards and risks there are facing in their workplace. 

We are fully committed to continue to educate, organize and mobilize young workers in Thailand particularly in our target sectors. With the help and support of adult YCW who continue to help in the process of rebuilding the movement, in developing potential leaders, providing contacts of young workers in various sectors, building networks, and support in logistics. We are very grateful, especially to Sripai Nonsee, Thanakorn, Somyot, Rotsarin, Noy, and other formers who are in all in this process.

We are all in this, together.