Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has promised to improve the welfare of workers as labour organisations put forward a set of demands, including a call for the government to ratify two International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions and a daily minimum wage of 360 baht.
Gen Prayut on Sunday presided over the launch of official Labour Day celebrations at Sanam Luang.
The event was attended by more than 1,000 representatives from 17 labor organizations and networks of workers in the informal sector.
Addressing the gathering, Gen Prayut said the government has set itself the goal over the next five years to boost Thailand’s stability, prosperity and sustainable development.
Details of the development plan will be spelt out in the National Social and Economic Development Board’s national development plans No.12-15, Gen Prayut said. He said national development guidelines must be set every five years and should include measures to improve the labour sector.
Gen Prayut said he was keen to better the lot of workers in the formal and informal sectors as well as the self-employed. He also said legal migrant workers are important to the country’s economy.
Workers deserves job security and the state must provide them with proper benefits and come up with measures to boost their skills, Gen Prayut said, adding the government will see to it that the costs of dental care are covered by benefits.
However, he added that workers must be prepared to adapt to change in the market, as old industries fade and new ones take their place.
Gen Prayut envisions a bright future for workers, saying they can get a daily wage of between 400-500 baht if they constantly strive to improve.
He stressed the need for workers to acquire knowledge and skills to prepare for the new era of the global economy in which more advanced technology will dominate manufacturing.
He said 5,000-6,000 new factories equipped with advanced technology will open next year while old factories will be shut down.
Right now, more workers are in demand as government infrastructure and rail construction projects get under way.
He also said there is growing demand for housekeepers who can care for the the elderly and children abroad, along with cooks for Thai restaurants overseas.
He added the government is ready to support Thai workers overseas. Tackling human trafficking is a government priority, he said, adding all factories and businesses must be subject to checks on labour standards within five years, and those which fail checks will be punished.
The Employee Council of Thailand, the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee, and the State Enterprises Workers’ Relations Confederation submitted a set of demands to the prime minister on Sunday.
They requested the government ratify two ILO conventions aimed at strengthening labour groups and their bargaining power.
ILO Convention 87 grants labourers the right to form groups without the need for state permission and prevents the government from interfering with their domestic and international activities.
ILO Convention 98 allows workers to collectively negotiate with employers and protects workers against unfair treatment and dismissal resulting from involvement in negotiations.
The organisations also demanded an increase to the minimum daily wage from 300 baht to 360 baht nationwide and the scrapping of the policy to privatise state enterprises.
They also want the government to pass amendments to the 1998 Labour Protection Act and promulgate a new law to insure workers against job loss and push for passage of the bill on the development of state enterprises.
Gen Prayut said some of the proposals were similar to those submitted last year and the government has since taken action on these issues. He said a proposed five-year post-election transition period is aimed at ensuring that national reforms are implemented successfully.
Meanwhile, a majority of workers say wages are still low and not enough to cope with the high cost of living, according to a Suan Dusit Rajabhat University survey. The poll canvassed 1,070 workers across the country between Monday and Saturday.
Asked about the labour situation, the respondents said wages were generally low (84.5%); there is not enough labour protection and welfare (78.5%); and the labour sector still has the potential to develop further (74.7%).
On the problems they are facing, respondents said their income is not enough and they still have debt burdens (82.2%); they are still being unfairly treated (78.9%); and, many are still unemployed and many are still unemployed and their jobs are being taken over by foreign workers (69.6%).
Asked about their views on the political situation, the workers said it is still full of conflict (76.6%); there are both good and bad people in politics (71.5%); and politics is moving toward change (69.6%). On their confidence in the government, 44.8% of the respondents are fairly confident; 33.1% have little confidence; 11.2% have high confidence; and, 10.7% have no confidence.
By: Bangkok Post
Published on: 2 May 2016