Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin assigned labour inspectors from the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare to receive claims from employees who were terminated and check and provide diagnosis according to the legal framework, under the principle of good labour relations, to be completed within 30 days. The case was that captains from Nok Air were terminated without compensation.
On May 11, 2021, at the Chatumongkol meeting room, 6th floor, Ministry of Labour, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin reported the case whereby the Thai Constitutional Protection Organization Association Secretary-General Mr. Srisuwan Chanya led 20 pilots or captains from Nok Air to meet him and file a complaint on Nok Air PCL, which laid off a large number of employees in aviation without compensating them according to the law. Assistant to the Labour Minister Mr. Surachai Chaitrakulthong, the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare’s Director-General Mr. Apinya Sucharitanan, and the Ministry of Labour’s executives also joined the occasion.
The Thai Constitutional Protection Organization Association Secretary-General Mr. Srisuwan Chanya said that at the end of April, Nok Air issued termination letters to many pilots or captains, claiming that the company has faced financial problems and ongoing accumulated losses, causing the company to enter a business reorganization process. The company claimed that it would have to adjust its organizational structure to increase operational flexibility, which affected many pilots. Over 20 main pilots and assistant pilots have received a termination letter, effective on May 1. Nok Air claimed to pay compensation and other money following the Labour Protection Act once the business has been rehabilitated, which is considered unfair to the employees. When there is a letter of termination, the company must pay compensation and other money immediately, according to the law.
Mr. Suchart said that for this case, he had assigned the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare’s labour inspectors to conduct an investigation and diagnoses according to legal measures, under principles of good labour relations. The result of the diagnosis will take 30 days. The terminated employees must also write a petition to the labour inspector and the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare to process the request. The process will ensure fairness to all parties. Once the diagnosis is issued, those who were terminated will be informed.
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Division of Public Relations
11 May 2021
