Toey, a representative from the Rangsit Labour Union Group (RLUG) in Thailand, spoke at a recent union and labour network meeting in Bangkok hosted by the Move Forward Party. Toey advocated for extending labour laws to cover platform workers, including food delivery riders, Thai massage therapists, and cleaners.
The meeting aimed to address the shortcomings of the Labour Relations Act 1975 and the State Enterprise Labour Act 1991. Union members called for all workers to be allowed to form unions and for protections against retaliation for union activities.
The Move Forward Party, Thailand’s largest parliamentary party, was dissolved on 8 August 2024, following its push for reform of the monarchy and military. Ten of the parties MPs have been banned by the conservative Constitution Court from political party membership for 10 years. However the remaining 143 MPs remain in Parliament having reformed the next day as the Peoples Party.
One speaker at the meeting discussed the history of unions in Thailand, from secret societies to the Labour Union Act, and participants explored strategies to promote the draft Labour Union Act within their workplaces.
