Finance Ministry Calls Emergency Board Meeting Over Bank Staff Protest
BAAC staff protested with eight demands including suspension of the bank's manager over alleged budget mismanagement and procurement irregularities; the Finance Ministry called an emergency board meeting this week to review the complaints.
Deputy Prime Minister Ekniti Nitithanpraphas revealed that the state enterprise labor union at the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) gathered employees in black attire with green armbands and submitted eight demands to the Finance Minister. A primary demand seeks to suspend the BAAC manager to enable investigation of budget spending, procurement projects, and insurance business benefits, and to consider not renewing the manager's contract. BAAC Manager Chatrchai Sirilai said that on August 10, a representative received the grievances, and as board chairman, he ordered a special board meeting within this week to urgently consider all complaints with fairness to all involved parties.
"We will hold a special board meeting this week to review the complaints," Ekniti said. "A representative received the grievances yesterday. When complaints come in, we must be fair to all sides."
The labor union's eight demands submitted on August 10, 2569 at BAAC headquarters in Bangkok include: (1) asking the Finance Minister to order BAAC to review its credit analysis process for farmer loans to suit real agricultural conditions and improve access; (2) asking to suspend the BAAC manager and investigate wasteful spending and inappropriate procurement decisions that contradict regional cost-control policies and harm customer service; (3) requesting non-renewal of the manager's second-term contract due to unsuitable work context for agricultural support; (4) requesting investigation of senior executives for comments showing contempt toward small depositors, contrary to BAAC's core mission; (5) requesting investigation of the manager for suspected management of benefits or funds returned from insurance companies outside official financial records; (6) requesting investigation of the manager for alleged interference with the appeals consideration committee, violating good governance; and (7) requesting investigation of whether BAAC employment changes comply with sound labor relations principles and the State Enterprise Labor Relations Act B.E. 2543.
