Month: July 2014

Introduction: In this third article on labour relations in Thailand we will continue examining important parts of the Labour Relations Act (LRA). In following on from our previous article which looked into various aspects of labour unions such as their formation, powers, authorized roles/activities and membership requirements, this installment will look into unfair practices under the LRA as well as Employer & Labour Federations including their registration, objectives and member participation. Unfair Practices Under the LRA there are a number of types of conduct which are stipulated as being ‘unfair practices’, this part of the Act (chapter 9) helps to ensure that labour relations in Thailand are undertaken in a fair and objective manner. If an Employee or a labour union is planning to or does one of the following: call a rally, files a complaint, submits a demand, files […]

Introduction: In this second article on labour relations in Thailand we will continue examining key aspects and principles of the Labour Relations Act (LRA). In following on from our previous article which looked into employee’s committees, strikes and lock-outs, this second installment will review various aspects of labour unions including their powers, how they are formed, their internal regulations, their membership, authorized roles/activities and other key issues relevant to business owners and workers alike. Labour Unions – Establishment & Registration: To begin with, one should be aware that in order to legally establish a labour union in Thailand there are a number of steps which need to be fulfilled. Chief amongst them being that the union and its internal regulations must be registered with the official registrar at the Department of Labour. When applying to set up a union, at […]

Introduction: In Thailand, the key piece of legislation which governs labour relations in the workplace is the Labour Relations Act (1975) (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Act’). This longstanding law is key to understanding several key aspects of labour relations including settlement of labour disputes, employee’s unions, the right of employees to strike as well as the right of employers to lock-out their employees from the workplace. This first article on this important topic will try to explain certain basic elements and principles of this law as well as its practical application in the workplace. Employee Strikes and Employer Lock-outs: According to this Act a ‘strike’ is defined as a concerted temporary stoppage of work carried out by the employees as a result of a labour dispute’, whereas a ‘lock-out’ is defined as a temporary refusal by an employer to […]

Introduction: Arguably, some of the most important legal documents that Companies in Thailand enter into are employment contracts given the legal liabilities and costs they can potentially impose. Employment agreements are also highly important to staff given that they can provide much of the framework for their rights and obligations in their careers. In relation to these types of agreements there are a number of key legal considerations that both employers and employees should be mindful of to ensure that they have a clear and effective contract which minimizes the likelihood of problems developing at a later stage. These various considerations are discussed in more depth below. Clearly Identifying the Parties: One of the most elementary issues which companies and employees alike make is that they fail to adequately identify the parties in an employment agreement. In our experience it […]