Thailand’s Labor Ministry has announced that all businesses in the country are not allowed to shut down while the state of emergency remains in effect.
They also added that employees are prohibited from going on strike until at least the end of the month.
The announcement is sure to cause some confusion and anger among business owners who have seen their businesses forcibly shut down for weeks during the lockdown only to be now told that they must open.
However, after so long without generating revenue, how can most businesses reopen and pay staff?
The ministry said that the order is effective from May 8th and that any small business owner that had previously been closed must now reopen while all employees must return to work.
Even more bizarrely, the Labor Ministry did not offer any information or solution for businesses who may not be able to reopen due to financial restraints and losses.
Business owners will hope for more clarity from the ministry over the coming days as they access the financial damage caused by recent restrictions.
For now, the announcement only states that both employers and employees must work strictly with the Labor Relations Act. It also stated that the labor relations committee would adjudge disputes on any labor issues.
Source: CTN
