From the Labor Force Movement to National Politics: Case Studies of the Future Forward Party's Labor Factions Movement in 2018 to 2020

Abstract

The research aimed to analyze and learn about the roles, ideologies, network frameworks, methods, and means used to elevate the labor force movement into national politics under the Future Forward Party in the periods from the 2014 Thai coup d'etat by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the transition period leading up to the 2019 election, until the official dissolution of the Future Forward Party in 2020, which sparked waves of social movement by student-run groups and people in various sectors. This research employed qualitative research methods through means of data and document research, as well as information collected from in-depth interviews with several official groups in the labor force movement associated with political parties. Through purposive sample selection and snowball technique, this research covered every group within the movement, including (1) the mainstays of the labor wing faction, (2) representatives of the union networks in each industry who engaged in the movement, (3) the information and policy team of the labor wing faction, and (4) parliament representatives of the labor wing faction.
The results of the research revealed that the movement was unable to fully achieve and change the labor forces outside of the network's awareness of welfare state and labor issues, as well as the democratic politics of the Future Forward Party’s labor wing faction as intended. Though there were minimal responses on an individual level, due to the conditions and important factors of (1) Thai political situations and democratic movements that impacted the parliament and the dissolution of the Future Forward Party after being formed for a little over a year and the interim transition after the party dissolved, caused a halt in the operation on the ground and with the masses, and remained only the idea aspect and communication work through social media on the labor and welfare state policies. Including the idea of the Future Forward Party that has become more liberal. It greatly affects the push for policies and draft laws of the labor wing faction through the party process. (2) The movement's true operational structure was not fully realized, as well as the connection issue in expanding the allies networks that allowed for a space for the labor workforce outside the conventional industry system to partake in national politics with the movement. (3) The movement’s legislation faction processes were not heading towards the same direction as the set goal and framework, which led to a drift and conflicting strategies that were roughly divided into two sides, including the incoherent legislation draft proposal process by the party. As well as having a considerable delay in the process of considering and amending the draft law due to opposition by the party's internal capital. (4) The conditions and limitations of the party’s support resources, such as the party’s main communication platform through social media and information supporting the movement policies by the party. Moreover, there were increased specific issues on labor aspects lodged in parliamentary sittings and the committee on labor meetings by various independent groups and entities outside of the movement’s network, including allies networks expanded through the movement's cooperation with outside organizations in the idea aspects. The aforementioned conditions also had an impact on the set goal, current resources, and crowd gathering strategies. The movement has turned towards the human resources aspect through more complex means to widen the network and focus on working with the masses through official movement setup, in order to lay a solid foundation for the movement, expand social awareness and communication, and distribute power and resources under the social political framework for other labor workforces through the movement’s network.