06/18/2026
Students and Block 33 Construction Workers Petition Parliamentary Labor Committee Over More Than 12 Months of Unpaid Wages in PMCU Development Project
On Thursday 18 June 2026, at 10:10 hrs, students from Chulalongkorn University, Thammasat University, Chiang Mai University, and Srinakharinwirot University, together with construction workers from the Block 33 high-rise condominium development project in the Suan Lueang–Sam Yan commercial district, submitted a petition to the Standing Committee on Labour of the House of the Representatives at the Parliament Building.
The petition was formally received by Veeraphol Jitsamrit, Chair of the Labour Committee, alongside Thanaporn Wichan, spokesperson of the committee, and Sahassawat Kumkong, committee member and advisor.
The petition calls for an investigation into alleged labour rights violations and prolonged unpaid wages involving Power Line Engineering Public Company Limited (PLE), the main contractor for the construction project. The development is being carried out on land under the management of the Property Management of Chulalongkorn University.
According to the workers, some employees have been working at the project site since 2021 but have not received wages as agreed. They stated that wage payments have been continuously withheld since June 2025, leaving some workers unpaid for more than 12 months. As a result, many workers are facing severe financial hardship and difficulties sustaining their livelihoods.
The workers argue that the case may constitute violations of Thailand’s Labour Protection Act B.E. 2541 (1998), particularly Section 70, which requires employers to pay wages on time. In construction projects involving subcontracting, Section 11/1 also stipulates that the principal contractor shares responsibility for workers’ wages and benefits if subcontractors fail to comply with labour laws.
Through this petition, the workers are urging the Labour Committee to urgently investigate the case, summon representatives from Power Line Engineering Public Company Limited to provide clarification, and invite representatives from Property Management of Chulalongkorn University, as the project developer, to explain what measures are in place to ensure labour rights protections within the project.
The workers also called on relevant state agencies, particularly the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare, to conduct a serious investigation and strictly enforce labour laws. They further demanded prompt and full payment of all outstanding wages, as well as protection for workers against threats, intimidation, harassment, or dismissal resulting from their decision to file complaints.
Thanaporn, MP from the People’s Party, stated that the affected workers deserve remedies from both the contractor and Chulalongkorn University, as the owner of the Block 33 condominium project. She added that the committee would use its parliamentary mechanisms to thoroughly investigate the matter.
Sahassawat, the People’s Party MP, further noted that the prolonged non-payment of wages over more than a year is deeply alarming.
“It is shocking that workers have had to continue working without compensation for such an extended period,” he said. “This is a clear violation of the law and should warrant criminal prosecution.”
He added that the case reflects a lack of proactive enforcement by the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare in safeguarding workers’ rights.
The petitioners emphasised that their primary objective is to secure the payment of overdue wages owed to workers. They also called for accountability from all parties involved and urged stronger labor protection standards in construction projects involving public institutions or public-sector stakeholders, to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
Photo: Secretariat of the House of Representatives
