The Ministry of Labour consulted with relevant agencies on outlining framework for solving foreign labour problems before proposing to the Board of Policies and the Cabinet for further consideration this March. It was revealed that the Board of Policies agreed with the directions for after the 31^st March 2015, separating the foreign workers into 4 groups. The first group would be those who have passed the process with permission to work until the 31^st March 2016, with the option of a 2 year extension. The second group would be those who have submitted names and must go through the process in order to progress into the first group, and the third group would consist of those unable to provide name lists which who will be returned to origin countries, in accordance to the National Council on Peace and Order’s policies. As for the fourth group being the followers, if name lists have been provided as assigned, then rights will be given which will be the same as the second group; if not, then charges will be made also.

General Kitti Pathummas, assistant to the Ministry of Labour presided over the consultation to determine methods and procedures in managing foreign labourers before proposing them to the Board of Policies on managing foreign workers and human trafficking at the Tien Achakul conference room on the 10th floor of the Ministry’s building. He talked about Labour Minister General Surasak Karnjanarat’s plan on the necessity for foreign workers to support businesses, and thus there is the direction for policies with 4 points consisting of 1) sufficient quantity of foreign labourers to support business growth 2) appropriate quantities of foreign labourers within legal framework whereby the defence side are able to manage and monitor 3) an appropriate quantity to not raise problems or effect society, culture, the environment and the lifestyle of Thai people 4) foreign labourers entering the Kingdom must have welfare and protection at international standards, not facilitating forced labour or human trafficking in any way.

As for processes to be done after the 31^st March 2015, this has been separated into 4 groups consisting of 1) those who have passed the process with permission to work until the 31^st March 2016, with the option of a 2 year extension 2) those who have provided a name list for the verification process but have not been able to do so, will be exempted and allowed to stay within the country until the 31st March 2016, where once they have passed the process, they will be allowed a 2 year extension like the first group 3) those who have not provided a name list within the 31^st March 2015 will be inspected, arrested and retuned back to origins in accordance to the National Council on Peach and Order’s commandments number 100 and 101 4) Followers of foreign workers who have provided names within the 31^st March 2015 will be permitted to remain in the Kingdom like the second group. As for followers who have no provided names, they will be returned to origin countries of have cases proceeded with like the third group.

The consultation concluded procedures for the systematic management of Myanmar, Laotian and Cambodian workers after the 31^st March 2015, where those that have not gone through the verification process within the assigned date are to report themselves for new cards by the 31^st May 2015. Foreign workers will be permitted a 1 year stay in the country starting from the 31^st March 2015. These will be proposed to the Board of Policies on Friday the 27^th February at the Government House, before being passed to the Council of Ministers for further consideration in early March.

As for methods and stages in registering foreign labourers in fisheries, the meeting agreed on the 7 stages which relevant agencies had proposed to the National Legislative Assembly. This included the registration and compilation of needs for fishery workers by employers whereby the Fisheries Association of Thailand will be the main agency with the center for fishery worker management in the 22 provinces in taking job applications and attracting people to work in fisheries. Only legal companies will be selected, where there will be coordination with origin countries within the G2G MOUs, importing workers by the Fisheries Association. Fishing organizations will coordinate with the Ministry of Labour in caring for the workers before boarding the vessels, whereby the Fisheries Association and members will arrange accommodation for the workers in the 22 coastal provinces. There will also be consistent inspections carried out by the Department of Fisheries with consequences for those in misconduct.

The meeting also agreed on the amendments for Memorandums of Understanding with origin countries, about the spacing time period for workers completing 4 years of overseas work. Originally, the spacing period was set at 3 years, whereby foreign workers would have to return to origin countries. However, the new proposal is a 30 day spacing period, before allowing foreign workers to return to work again. This will align to the amount of time needed to prepare relevant documents for re-entering the country, allowing workers to visit family members and to reduce the time period in between work.

By: Chaninthorn Petchtub, Bureau of Public Relations, Ministry of Labour