A spokesman for the Ministry of Labour confirmed the assistance provided to Brilliant Alliance Thai Global Co., Ltd employees, who were affected by business closures. The Ministry of Labour has completed all procedures within the legal framework. Labour leaders condemned those for misrepresenting the facts, leading them wrongly, and not wishing the workers well.
The Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson (on politics), Mrs. Thienrat Navamawat, spoke about the case of the Triumph International Workers’ Union of Thailand accusing the government of failing, releasing foreign capital to trample on Thai workers. They claimed that the Labour Minister lacked the strength to enforce the law to help employees and misrepresented that the employees were abandoned without receiving compensation. They plan to gather at the Government Houses on March 11, 2022. The Spokesperson summarized the assistance provided to Brilliant Alliance Thai Global Co., Ltd. employees, who were affected by business closure. She said that Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin has followed up and instructed care of this group of employees. The efforts follow the concerns and instructions of Prime Minister and Minister of Defense General Prayuth Chan-ocha since the first day of business closure on March 11, 2021. They facilitated submitting applications for various benefits, providing recruitment services for employees who wished to work. On March 23, 2021, the Labour Inspector ordered the employer to pay legal benefits to the employees in the amount of 242,689,862.71 Baht. They proceeded to pay the employee benefits from the Employee Welfare Fund employees, totaling 32,973,275.44 Baht. They amended the regulations of the Employee Welfare Fund Committee by increasing the subsidy rate if the employer terminates employment without severance pay, up to 100 times the minimum wage rate, causing employees to receive additional allowances valued at 10,504,431.44 Baht. The Social Security Office paid compensation in case of unemployment for 65,850,768 Baht to alleviate the suffering of employees. Employee representatives have thanked the Prime Minister and the Labour Minister for helping the employees to the fullest.
A lawsuit was filed as a civil lawsuit with the Labour Court, Region 1, which ordered the employer to pay the amount of 220,787,592.71 Baht with fifteen percent interest per year. The criminal case filed a complaint with the investigating officer at Bang Sao Thong Provincial Police Station. The investigating officer asked the Samut Prakan Provincial Court to issue an arrest warrant for the employer within five years from June 5, 2021, to June 5, 2026, to file a claim for debt repayment under the Bankruptcy Act B.E. 2483 because the Central Bankruptcy Court issued a receivership order on November 25, 2021. As for the latest update on February 9, 2022, the Ministry of Labour applied for debt repayment, and the receiver will schedule an appointment to inspect the repayment application on June 1, 2022. In addition, a letter of deposit has been attached to Bangkok Bank PCL to the company’s account name. The bank has sent three cashier’s checks worth 91,475.29 Baht to pay back to the Employee Welfare Fund account. There is a letter to the Director-General of the Customs Department and the Revenue Department to follow up on the results of the seizure of assets by Brilliant Company, amounting to 1,389,388.80 Baht.
The Triumph International Workers Union of Thailand had previously submitted a letter to the Ministry of Labour to expedite assistance. They held a meeting to discuss and clarify with the leaders who attended the meeting, including Mr. Chia Champathong, Mrs. Sriprai Nonsee, Ms. Thanaporn Wichan, Ms. Suthila Lunkham, Mrs. Jit Na Watcharee Panad, Ms. Tuenjai Wangkham, and Ms. Wassana Konghintang. After the meeting, the leaders thanked the Prime Minister, the Labour Minister, and the Ministry of Labour’s officials, who supported Brilliant employees. The Triumph Labour Union later claimed that the Ministry of Labour and the government did not provide assistance to these workers and also asked that the government use the central budget amount of 242,689,862.71 Baht to pay wages in lieu of advance notice, compensation, wages for annual vacation, bonuses and other allowances for employees who were terminated to alleviate the trouble. She confirmed that the Ministry of Labour has taken steps in the framework of the law and provided full assistance. Using the central budget funds to pay employees cannot be done as it is between the employer and the employee. No countries have complied with such demands. This has been clarified to the representatives who attended the meeting, concluded the Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson.
Mr. Manas Kosol, Chairman of the Confederation of Thai Labour and the Chairman of the Social Security Network for Working People, spoke about the case of employees in the case of Brilliant Alliance Thai Global Co., Ltd. The Triumph International Workers’ Union of Thailand had gathered to follow up and continuously ask for progress in helping employees affected by business closure at the Government Houses. He said that it is compensation beyond the powers of the government and the Minister of Labour. Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin has tried to provide legal remedies that have been revised, especially the Ministerial Regulations. Employees who have been terminated will receive unemployment compensation. At that time, the Social Security Office paid unemployment benefits to terminated employees. The said group of employees also thanked the Prime Minister at the Government Houses. In addition, the Labour Minister has also pushed for an increase in employee allowances. As for the request to find measures to prevent foreign investors from escaping like this employer, a working group has now been set up to study more ways to assist employees. There are three representatives from employers and employees and representatives from relevant government sectors. The working group will study the information for further presentation to the working group. “In my view, I see that the movement of the group of employees who have made this claim is the same group of employees who have made the same claim many times. As the Chairman of the Confederation of Thai Labour and the Chairman of the Social Security Network for Working People, I have worked with many employee groups. I never thought that I would have to come out and make a claim with the same methods because, in the past, they have already received remedies. To come out and make a move in this situation, I believe that there must be a process leading this because there is a matter of cost. There is the cost of transportation. If it were me, there are better ways to set up a working group that would lead to better problem solving together for the benefit of workers across the country,” concluded Mr. Manas.
Mr. Charlie Loysung, Chairman of the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee, was another person who commented on this matter. He said that he disagreed with the Triumph Workers’ Union for mobilizing pressure on the government. No government would do this, especially for issues requiring taxpayers’ money to pay compensation for employers. To do as requested would be a country with no rules. Employers who go out of business see this example, and the government would have no means to pay first. “I think that the preparation for this rally must have a hidden agenda. And as you’ve noticed, the protesters were usually hired, not actual employees. Most of them are unemployed because of layoffs, coming out to distort the facts, leading to misunderstandings. I condemn the actions of the leaders because they are doing this for the good of the employees. Those who have followed up on this case know that the Labour Minister, Mr. Suchart Chomklin, has fully assisted and solved this problem. He has accelerated every step of the operation and issued new approaches to help heal and take care of the employees.”
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