The Poor or The Rich: Who should worry about income inequality?

After the boom of globalization phenomenon exploded, the mobility of people movement has since remarkably and rapidly spread out over the world. People have then moved from here to there, at the same time back and forth, seeking for fortune elsewhere particularly from poorer, less developed country to richer and more developed country. The world seems to be borderless.

In this case, we may see the arrival of thousands of migrant workers notably from Burma constantly crossing border, from day to day, to Thailand by legal or illegal way to reach their destination as evidence to this movement. They temporarily, in fact most of them stay pretty long, some are reported years, settle in Thailand looking for a job, a job of which they have thought before their arrival, would be better than what they once had in their own country. Unfortunately, most of those migrant workers, owing to their education and skill, only find a job, usually in physical sectors: construction, agriculture, food industries, and end up with unequal payment and exploitation.

According to MAP Foundation (Migrant Movements, 1996-2010) those migrant workers are paid lower than minimum wage set by Thai government. Yet, there are limited actions done by the government towards the employers who own factories, companies, or restaurants. At the same time, those business owners reportedly intend to recruit workers who come to Thailand illegally for those workers would not mind working in hard condition with the exchange of completely low payment. Should they mind complaining about income inequality? Should they have rights to complaint even they are illegal migrant workers? Or should they just keep silent and receive whatever their employers provide them?

Even they are “illegal” migrant workers; their hard work helps generate a lot of profit for business owner. Without them, I may say, those business owners would barely gain more income! Those capitalists see them small and vulnerable. If they dare to complaint about income inequality, they would be threatened by reporting to the police of their illegal status. In this situation, they have to shut their mouth, otherwise they would be deported back home, and accept the small amount of payment – maybe “little” is better than “nothing,” though their earning hardly secures three meals on the table. They live day by day, hour by hour.

The rich 16% capture 80% of the world resources, while the poor 84% remain only the rest 20% of the world resources (World Bank). Would the rich mind about the income inequality? Should the poor be shared a suitable proportion of their labor to live in a suitable condition as a human being?! Who should care for them? Themselves? The state? Or the rich?!