Industrialization, globalization and labour force participation in Thailand

Abstract

© 2014, © 2014 Taylor & Francis. This article analyses the impact of globalization and industrialization on Thailand's labour market. While acknowledging the trend rise in wage employment in the labour force over the period 1971–2009, the article also shows that over half of the labour force has remained in non-wage employment, which has left a significant share of them vulnerable to the abuses of the capitalist system. The lack of technological upgrading has meant that employers have increasingly resorted to subcontracting work to informal homeworkers to compete in low value added activities. Outsourcing has also allowed employers to bypass the minimum wage legislation. Hence, we argue that it is important that workers from all forms of work are mobilized to strengthen the role of unions to ensure that there is a shift from the low to a high road to industrialization so that workers’ rights are protected.