Welfare and Labor Policy

The Future Forward Party is aware of the necessity to push the country toward the creation of an encompassing and universal welfare system for all population. The safety net will enable every citizen to have a freedom in choosing their life paths, unrestricted by economic status or birthrights. The universal welfare rights aim to promote human dignity, liberate Thai society from patronage system and dehumanizing values, and allow citizens the freedom of upward social mobility. The universal welfare system aims to decrease inequality in society, build purpose to the lives of citizens and promote economic growth that benefits the majority of the people in Thai society.

The Future Forward Party believes in strengthening the potential of the new generations and aims to reduce household poverty caused by child upbringing costs. The party supports moving from means-tested child care welfare into a universal one, in order to free families from carrying the burden of raising the new generation which leads to loss of economic freedom and creativity. It will be a welfare which the public can receive with the least minimal tests and bureaucracy.

Furthermore, the party believes the burden of household costs are partly due to lack of education opportunity in all levels and debts incurred during studies. Therefore, the party will bring education costs after compulsory education level down to an appropriate amount that is accessible to the general public. The party will also create a mechanism to provide financial support for university education, in order to reduce loans and household debts caused by education.

Thailand’s unregulated labor makes up about 70 percent of total labor force, many of whom live a life of poverty without savings, rights to pension or guarantee of income during unemployment. The party is dedicated in developing a mechanism to support low income earners through progressive tax distribution so they can live above the United Nations median poverty line.  Furthermore, the party is committed in reforming social security for unregulated labor force and expanding the national pension to cover every citizen, paving way for a quality retirement life. Healthcare insurance will also be improved to equate with the welfare system enjoyed by civil servants. All Thais must have the rights to free and effective healthcare under one standard.

Welfare for groups with specific needs, such as people with physical disabilities, LGBTs and those in need of expensive and continuous cares, will be treated with regards to their rights and human dignity over the costs. The party will push for healthcare, use of public space, access to capital, education and job training as basic assets for groups of all needs. The party also aims to eliminate job application and workplace discrimination, access to capital, careers and designation of income in order to allow all humans to live in Thai society as equals.

In order to build encompassing, universal and sustainable welfare measures, the party will push for amendments in laws and civic and political institutions. The amendments include a limit of work hours to 40 hours a week, salaries sufficient to support at least three lives, expansion of paid holidays under labor laws, increase of minimum income in accordance with inflation rates set by the Bank of Thailand. Also included are rights to maternity leaves, extension of paid leaves for child raising, and endorsement of the International Labour Organisation’s 87th Convention on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, and the 98th Convention on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining.

The Future Forward Party supports the creation of welfare and labor councils in local levels to improve independent public welfare similar to the role of Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Industry in large scale operators.

Lastly, welfare system must be accompanied by distribution of income, reduction of inequality through tax measures, such as inheritance tax and large scale land tax, and modification of budgets on welfare projects in order to integrate them into a universal welfare system to build complete, stable lives of the people along with their dignity and freedom.