Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2021, published 110th ILC session (2022)

Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100) - Thailand (Ratification: 1999)

The Committee notes the observations from the National Congress of Thai Labour (NCTL) transmitted by the Government with its reply and received on 25 November 2021.

Article 1(a) of the Convention. Additional emoluments. Overtime payments. The Committee notes the observations provided by the NCTL regarding the provisions of the Labour Protection Act, which set the maximum hours of work per week and stipulate that overtime work should be paid at 1.5 times the hourly rate. The union adds that the Thai Labour Standard (TLS) 8001-2020 states that the employer must pay wages and remuneration to employees for work performed outside work hours or exceeding normal working hours at not less than the legal requirement. It further indicates that Ministerial Regulation No.7 provides that workers involved in production who are paid monthly wages are eligible to be paid for overtime work only at the hourly rate. The NCTL states that therefore there is an inconsistency between Ministerial Regulation No. 7 and the Labour Protection Act, the latter being in conformity with the Convention. The Committee notes that, in its reply, the Government states that there is no inconsistency because Ministerial Regulation No. 7 indicates that employer and workers involved in production can agree the maximum hours worked in a day, as long as the weekly max is under 48 hours and states that the Convention is not relevant in this regard. The Committee recalls that, in accordance with the Convention, the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal applies not only to wages but also to any additional emoluments, including overtime payments. It also stresses that compliance with the requirements of the Convention is required in law and in practice and, therefore it is important to assess the impact of any legal provisions on the gender pay gap in practice. If, as a result of the implementation of the above legal provisions, women or men are disproportionally affected by lower supplements for overtime work, it may contribute to unequal pay for men and women and have an impact on the gender pay gap and therefore be contrary to the principle of the Convention. In order for the Committee to get an appreciation of how these legal provisions operate in practice and their possible impact on the gender pay gap, it requests the Government to provide statistical information disaggregated by sex on the distribution of men and women in the production sector and other sectors of the economy and, within the production sector, on the number of overtime hours worked as well as any other relevant information. It also requests the Government to provide any assessment it may have made of the impact of overtime payments on the remuneration of men and women.

Articles 2 and 3. Private sector. In its previous comments, the Committee urged the Government to provide information on the practical application of the Thai Labour Standards (TLS) 8001-2003 related to equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value and also asked it to indicate whether any activities, including training, had been organized in the private sector to promote job evaluation and provide a better understanding of the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the TLS are regularly updated and that, on 24 March 2020, the TLS 8001-2020 entered into force. The TLS 8001-2020 state that the employer “shall treat employees equally in payment of wage and remuneration, regardless of gender of employees” (standard 4.7.3). The Committee also notes the information provided by the Government concerning a series of training sessions on TLS 8001-2020 and evaluations of businesses’ application of the TLS, which were conducted by the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the results of the evaluation exercises conducted by the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare in relation to the application of standard 4.7.3 of the TLS 8001-2020 and the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value, including information on the use of objective evaluation methods by employers. Please also continue to provide information on any activities undertaken to promote the application of the Convention in the private sector.

Gender pay gap. In its previous comments, the Committee asked the Government to provide: (1) information on the measures taken under the Eleventh National Economic and Social Development Plan to improve women’s access to decision-making and management positions, and their impact on reducing the gender pay gap; and (2) statistical data disaggregated by sex on the participation of men and women in different occupations and sectors of activity in the public and private sectors. The Committee notes that the Government refers to the Five-Year Report on the Eleventh National Economic and Social Development Plan (2012–2016) which highlights that the number of women in executive and decision-making positions increased during the years of implementation of the Plan. The Committee also notes that currently the Twelfth National Economic and Social Development Plan (2017–2021) includes a strategy (strategy no. 2) to reduce inequality in society which, among other things, envisages the adoption of measures to reduce income inequalities (target 1). Under the Plan, the Department of Women's Affairs and Family of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security has introduced the Action Plan for Women Development (Phase 1: 2020-2022) with the objective of fostering gender equality by changing attitudes, empowering women and enhancing their public participation, among others. Concerning statistical data, the Committee notes from the statistics provided by the Government that in the last quarter of 2020 the average monthly wage of women was 14,780 Bath, compared to 14,484 Bath for men. The Committee also notes that according to the Labour Force Survey, in the last quarter of 2020, women accounted for 45.87 per cent of the total population in employment. In the same period, the majority of women in employment worked as skilled agricultural forest and fishery workers (26.9 per cent of all women workers) followed by service workers (24.76 per cent), while the majority of men engaged in agriculture, forestry, and fishing (35.5 per cent of all men workers), followed by wholesale and retail trade (15.15 per cent), and manufacturing (14.61 per cent). As regards the public sector, the Committee notes that women represented a majority of the civil servants, however they accounted only for 30.29 per cent of civil servants in managerial positions, and 20.93 per cent of civil servants in executive positions. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures adopted under the Twelfth National Economic and Social Development Plan (2017 – 2021) to promote the principle of the Convention and foster greater participation of women in managerial and executive positions, in the public and private sectors, as well as in a wider range of occupations and sectors of activity, and their results. Please also continue to supply statistical information disaggregated by sex on the participation of men and women in different occupations and sectors of activity and their remuneration rates, in the public and private sectors.

Article 4. Cooperation with employers’ and workers’ organizations. In its previous comments, the Committee asked the Government to provide the following information: (1) the number of committees set up in order to follow up the workplace policy and how they ensure and monitor the implementation of the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value; (2) how the Labour Welfare Committee as well as the welfare committees at the enterprise level are in practice promoting equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value; and (3) whether any collective agreements explicitly providing for equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value have been concluded, and if so please forward copies of such agreements. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that between October 2020 and March 2021 there were 4,289 welfare committees set up in business enterprises. The Government reports that, in general, the welfare committees can promote the principle of the Convention by: raising the issue with employers; making suggestions and providing advice to employers; monitoring the provision of welfare benefits to employees; and raising awareness about the right to equal remuneration for work of equal value. The Committee also notes the Government’s statement that there are no collective agreements covering specifically the question of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value. The Committee recalls that the determination of criteria for job evaluation and their weighting are matters on which cooperation between employers and workers is particularly relevant, giving collective bargaining an important place in this context (See General Survey on the fundamental Conventions, 2012, paragraph 705). In addition, Governments should take the necessary steps, in cooperation with the social partners, to ensure that the provisions of collective agreements observe the principle of the Convention (See General Survey 2012, paragraph 681). The Committee requests the Government to provide specific information on the measures adopted in practice by the welfare committees to promote and monitor the application of the principle of the Convention, including information on any initiatives directed at promoting objective job evaluations, and their impact. Please also indicate if any measures have been adopted or envisaged, in cooperation with the social partners, to promote the inclusion of specific clauses on equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value in collective agreements.

Enforcement. In its previous comments, the Committee asked the Government to provide information on the following points: 1) how training activities undertaken on ILO standards, labour protection and labour law enforcement had contributed to increasing the awareness of labour inspectors on the issue of equal remuneration for work of equal value, and assisted them in better detecting and addressing violations of the principle of the Convention; and 2) the results of labour inspection activities, such as the number of written orders delivered to employers and any proceedings that have followed such delivery under sections 15 and 53 of the Labour Protection Act. The Committee notes that the Government refers to the implementation of various training and awareness-raising activities concerning the principle of the Convention that involved labour inspectors. The Committee also notes the Government’s indication that no violation of the principle of equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value has been detected by the labour inspectors. The Committee encourages the Government to continue to conduct training and awareness-raising activities for labour inspectors on the principle of the Convention and to provide information about these activities as well as on the number of violations detected, the sanctions imposed and remedies granted under the Labour Protection Act.