Hundreds of Thais demonstrated near Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's office on Monday, demanding an increase of the minimum wage to cope with rising inflation caused by sky high oil prices. "Oil prices are damned expensive, but wages are damned cheap," said one placard a week after Thaksin announced measures to stimulate the economy which included bringing forward a civil servant pay rise but not an expected minimum wage increase.
Thaksin deferred a decision on the minimum wage to the national wage body, which includes employers, employees and the government. Monday's rally was held to coincide with its deliberations.
His stimulus package included a 5-percent rise for all civil servants from October and Labour Ministry officials said they had offered a 3.4 percent rise in the minimum wage, or 6 baht ($0.14). Unions are demanding 33 percent.
"Six baht a day is a laughable figure," union spokeswoman Wanpen sae Tia said.
The minimum wage paid to unskilled workers is now 175 baht ($4.20) a day.
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