After more than eight months and 30 rounds of negotiations, the Bangkok Bank Trade Union (BBTU), affiliated with UNI Global Union, has secured a major Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with Bangkok Bank, delivering significant improvements in employee pay, parental benefits, healthcare coverage, and financial support.
The agreement follows prolonged negotiations that began in October 2025 and marks one of the most notable labour victories for bank employees in Thailand in recent years.
Among the key achievements is a financial assistance package equivalent to 1.5 months’ wages, along with an additional cost-of-living allowance of 20,000 THB (USD 618) for all employees, a demand the bank had initially resisted despite strong financial performance.
The agreement also expands paternity leave from five days to 15 working days and increases maternity leave from 98 days to 120 days, strengthening support for working parents.
Employees will also benefit from enhanced medical coverage for IPD and ICU treatment, including nursing service fees, as well as insurance protection for employees carrying out off-site duties.
In addition, the bank agreed to introduce a solar cell loan programme with a maximum credit limit of 150,000 THB (USD 4,634) at a special interest rate, while also reducing refinancing interest rates for external personal debt from MLR -0.25% to MLR -0.50%.
The breakthrough came amid sustained profit growth at Bangkok Bank. In the third quarter of 2025, the bank posted a net profit of 13.79 billion THB (USD 426 million), while cumulative profit for the first nine months of the year reached 38.25 billion THB (USD 1.18 billion), representing a 9.9% increase year-on-year.
Despite the strong financial results, union representatives said the bank initially refused to approve the additional cost-of-living allowance requested by workers.
Throughout the negotiations, the BBTU argued that employees who contributed directly to the bank’s growth and profitability deserved a fairer share of the gains. Support from union members and employees intensified over time, adding pressure on management to reconsider its position.
BBTU President Bundit Chankaewrae described the agreement as an important milestone, but stressed that the fight for workplace justice must continue.
“This outcome is only a first step, not the end. Justice in the workplace can only be achieved when employees continue to participate, unite, and stand together to defend the rights, dignity, and future of workers,” he said.
Congratulating the union, Rajendra Archarya said the agreement demonstrated the power of worker solidarity and collective action.
“The persistence and unity shown by the Bangkok Bank Trade Union throughout these long negotiations demonstrate the power of collective action. This agreement is an important victory for bank workers and a testament to the determination of workers who refused to give up in the fight for fair treatment and dignity at work,” he said.