Ministry looks to restructure worker wages

The Labour Ministry is proposing a revamp of the wage structure, basing it on workers' skill levels in 11 types of jobs, to pave the way for the Democrat-led government's policy to raise the minimum wage by 25% in two years.

Cabinet approval would be sought for the wage scale. Once the scale is published in the Royal Gazette, the minimum wage committee has to follow it in setting the minimum wage, said permanent secretary for labour Somkiat Chayasriwong yesterday.

The ministry assured that those who passed the tests would be "really skilful labourers", he said.

The 11 work areas under the wage scale are three types of car services - painting, reshaping and repair - Thai cooking, Thai massage, western spa work, computer repair, household and factory electricity maintenance, air conditioner repair and electrical appliance repair.

The wage rates vary in different work fields and within certain fields, while workers are classified in accordance with their abilities, according to the Labour Ministry.

Car engine repair workers get lower wages than car painters and car reshapers. Level 1 car engine repairmen are entitled to 275 baht a day, at Level 2 360 baht and 445 baht for Level 3 while Level 1 car painters start on 315 baht, Level 2 get 380 baht and Level 3 445 baht. Car reshaping workers get the highest salaries in the group. Level 1 workers are entitled to 335 baht, Level 2 420 baht and Level 3 505 baht.

There are two skill levels for cooking Thai food and western spa workers.

Level 1 Thai cooks get 280 baht and Level 2 360 baht while Level 1 western spa workers get 350 baht and Level 2 are paid 460 baht.

Level 1 Thai masseurs and masseuses are paid 310 baht, Level 2 410 baht and Level 3 510 baht a day.

Workers in the electricity and electrical appliance repair areas get 300 baht for Level 1, 400 baht for Level 2 and 500 baht for Level 3.

Currently, the daily minimum wage for all types of workers varies by province from 159 to 221 baht.

Labour Minister Chalermchai Sri-on said the wage scale would pave the way for Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's policy of increasing the minimum wage by 25% in two years.

The new wage structure aims to cushion the impact on employers once the planned minimum wage hikes come into effect because employees could pay salaries based on workers' skills.

To earn more, workers would have to improve their skills, needed for bolstering the competitiveness of their employers given the salary hikes, he said.

"The proposed wage structure is not an intervention of the tripartite minimum wage committee but it follows the government's policy which wants labourers to have better lives," the minister said.