Amid the bustling hum of Sukhumvit Road in front of Thai Oil’s Refinery in the scenic Si Racha District, Chonburi Province, an unfolding drama captured the attention of many from 24 to 26 July 2024, and again on 30 and 31 July 2024. A group of unpaid subcontractor workers from the Unincorporated Joint Venture (UJV) of Petrofac South East Asia Pte. Ltd. (Petrofac), Saipem Singapore Pte. Ltd. (Saipem), and Samsung E&A (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (formerly Samsung Engineering (Thailand) Co., Ltd.) gathered, demanding their overdue wages.
Following an inquiry by Thai Oil Public Company Limited (“the Company”), it was revealed that the frustrated workers were employees of One Turn Ten Company Limited (“One Turn Ten”), EMCO LTD (Thailand) Company Limited (“EMCO”), and Thai Fong Engineering and Construction Company Limited (“Thai Fong”). These companies are subcontractors of Sinopec Engineering Group (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (“Sinopec”), which itself is a subcontractor of the UJV, the main contractor for the construction of the Clean Fuel Project (CFP) for the Company. The epic saga of missing payments started here, with the three subcontractors not receiving their dues from Sinopec, and Sinopec in turn, waiting on payments from the UJV.
Thai Oil, aware of the workers’ plight, stepped in to mediate the situation. They actively organized discussions among the workers’ representatives, relevant government agencies, the subcontractors, and UJV representatives to find a resolution swiftly. It’s a complex web, but there is a collective push for a solution.
On 30 July 2024, a pivotal press release from the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare hinted at Thai Oil’s involvement in negotiation meetings alongside Sinopec, UJV, employers, and workers’ representatives. Reports quickly circulated that Thai Oil agreed to disburse an eye-popping sum of THB 567 million for worker payments by August’s end. However, the Company swiftly clarified that no such agreement was made to directly pay the workers. The Company was caught in the middle but maintained that the responsibility for ensuring payments lies squarely with the respective subcontractors and the UJV, emphasizing that Thai Oil has met all its financial obligations under the EPC contract.
In a further testament to their dedication, Thai Oil has taken significant steps to ensure stability and safety around the refinery premises. They coordinated closely with government agencies, reinforced security measures, and put in place 24-hour surveillance. This ensured that the gathering of workers remained orderly and safe, minimizing disruptions to the surrounding community.
The scene at the site is a stark reminder of the intricate dependencies and financial cascades in large-scale projects. Thai Oil’s proactive approach to coordinating all parties involved and maintaining the peace highlights their commitment to not just their operational excellence but also to the welfare of those caught in this financial crossfire.
As this situation unfolds, it stands as a narrative of perseverance, coordination, and the push for fairness. All eyes remain on the ongoing discussions, in the hope that the gathered workers of One Turn Ten, EMCO, and Thai Fong will soon receive the payments they rightfully deserve, ensuring a return to normalcy and continued progress on the Clean Fuel Project.
Stay tuned as this high-stakes saga develops. Will the subcontractors and UJV find a resolution? Will the workers’ demands be met? Only time will tell as negotiations continue with fervent determination.
It’s absolutely disgraceful that these workers have to protest to get their wages. How can companies sleep at night knowing they’re withholding money from hardworking people?
Totally agree. The subcontractors should be held accountable, but so should Thai Oil for not ensuring their workforce gets paid.
But remember, Thai Oil has paid the UJV and subcontractors. It’s up to those entities to distribute the wages properly. Thai Oil can’t be blamed for this.
True, but as the primary contractor, Thai Oil has a responsibility to ensure smooth operations and fairness to all workers involved.
Typical corporate malfeasance. Everyone points fingers and meanwhile the workers get nothing. When will there be accountability?
So true. The entire supply chain needs to be more transparent and regulated to avoid such situations.
Good luck with that. Corporations will always find loopholes. Strong unions are the only way to ensure workers’ rights.
Given the reluctance of corporations to pay what they owe, maybe workers should be paid directly by the main contractor in future projects.
It’s quite amazing how big businesses always wiggle out of responsibility. These workers are just pawns in their money game.
You think with all their financial might, they wouldn’t mind sparing some for the workers. But guess what, greed has no limits.
Exactly! It’s all about squeezing every last penny at the cost of the poor laborers.
Sounds like a PR blitz by Thai Oil to clean up their image. Why didn’t they intervene earlier?
Possibly because they were unaware? The layers of contracts in such projects can obscure issues until they explode like this.
Unlikely. If they claim to be so dedicated to operational excellence, they should have a better handle on such situations.
True. Monitoring subcontractor payments should be part of their oversight. It’s a failure on multiple fronts.
Incredible that in 2024, workers still need to resort to public protests to get paid. What a world!
Yep, it’s medieval. Companies should have electronic direct payment systems to avoid such nonsense.
Why not set up escrow accounts to ensure funds are available for worker pay before projects begin? Just a thought.
That’s a smart idea. It’s amazing how something so simple isn’t implemented.
I’ve worked onsite for projects like this. The reality is complicated and messy. But the workers should never bear the brunt of financial mismanagement.
The subcontracting chains in these mega-projects are a structural issue. They lead to accountability loops where no one takes full responsibility.
So frustrating! I hope the workers finally get their due. They’ve already suffered enough.
Legal frameworks need to change. Governments must enforce strict penalties for companies that delay or deny wages.
Why don’t workers just strike? Hit these companies where it hurts most—in their pockets.
Wonder if we can use cryptocurrencies to pay workers directly. That way, nothing gets ‘lost in transit’.
Interesting concept, but trust issues with crypto and volatility might scare people away.
Not surprised at all! Corporations exploit whenever they can, and then pretend to care for PR purposes.
It’s always some grand scheme where they appear as saviors while doing the bare minimum.
Exactly! Lip service to keep their stock prices up.
I wouldn’t be so harsh—if Thai Oil is actually negotiating to help, that’s something at least.
Reading about this makes me so angry. How do companies expect loyalty from workers when they can’t even pay them on time?
Loyalty? More like exploitation. Companies don’t care about loyalty, just profit margins.
Interesting to note how interconnected global corporations are. This showcases how a delay somewhere can impact workers in another country.
Thai Oil’s quick clarification about not paying the workers directly seems fishy. Are they really committed to resolving this?
Workers coming together to protest is a powerful sight. Hope they get what they deserve and change happens!
Collective action is the only way to instill fear in these corporations. More power to the workers!