Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2015, published 105th ILC session (2016)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Thailand (Ratification: 1969)

Articles 1, 2 and 3 of the Convention. Implementation of an active employment policy. Labour market trends. Consultation with the social partners. The Government indicates in its report that measures were implemented under the 11th National Plan of Social and Economic Development for 2012–16 aimed at developing the workforce to meet the labour market demands in the manufacturing and service sectors. The Committee requests the Government to provide further information on the implementation of the 11th National Plan of Social and Economic Development for 2012–16 with respect to employment promotion, including its impact on the labour market trends based on relevant statistical data. It also requests the Government to provide information on the consultations held with the social partners with regard to the implementation of the 11th National Plan of Social and Economic Development for 2012–16 and other matters covered by the Convention.

Migrant workers. The Government indicates that the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) established the One-Stop Service (OSS) Centres in 2014 to eradicate labour exploitation and human trafficking of migrant workers. Measures were also taken to reduce registration fees for migrant workers to obtain a work permit. The Committee notes that measures implemented in 2014 to address the labour exploitation in the fishing industry include encouraging employers to register their migrant fishery workers. Following the Cabinet Resolution of 6 November 2013, 12,624 migrant workers in the fishing industry were registered in 2013–14 and 58,508 migrant workers in the fishing industry were registered through the OSS Centres in 2014. The development strategies of the 11th National Plan of Social and Economic Development for 2012–16 include increasing regional labour mobility and protecting the rights of Thai workers abroad. The Government indicates that, in 2014, about 217,000 migrant workers were employed through the Memorandum of Understanding on Employment Cooperation, signed by Thailand, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Myanmar. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information on the impact of the measures implemented to address and resolve issues relating to migrant workers, including new laws on labour protection and the fishing industry and related enforcement with due regard to their fundamental rights. Please also include the results obtained within the 11th National Plan of Social and Economic Development for 2012–16 to prevent abuse and exploitation of migrant workers in Thailand.

Women. Prevention of discrimination. The Government indicates that the Department of Employment organized career promotion activities for unemployed women and men by providing training courses on self-employment and entrepreneurship, in which women jobseekers participated roughly five times more than men jobseekers on average from 2007–11. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the impact of the measures taken to promote increased participation of women in the labour market and to prevent discrimination in terms of employment, by including relevant statistical data.

Workers in the informal economy. The Committee notes that the 1st Strategy of the National Plan for Workers in Informal Economy Management for 2012–16 aimed to expand protection coverage and create social security for workers in the informal economy in 2012–13. In this regard, a policy was formulated to promote a saving scheme for older workers in the informal economy. A regulation issued by the Social Security Office of the Ministry of Labour expanded the benefits to larger target groups, such as farmers, drivers, shopkeepers and street vendors. Moreover, approximately 108,500 workers participated in activities for informal workers concerning health protection and economic security. The Committee also notes that the Department of Industrial Promotion adopted measures for employment promotion for informal workers in 2009–11, including a project to develop skills in entrepreneurship in which about 21,000 persons benefited and an activity to enhance the capacity of community industrial establishments in which 250 groups were engaged. The Government indicates that the Department of Employment organized in-house skill training sessions and disseminated labour market information as well as set up the Project of Treethep Job Centre as an integrated job centre for employment promotion and income upgrading for low-wage earners, new graduates and informal workers. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the impact of the measures implemented to promote employment and expand social security benefits for workers in the informal economy. Referring to the Transition from the Informal to the Formal Economy Recommendation, 2015 (No. 204), the Committee also requests the Government to include information on the impact of the measures taken to facilitate the transition of the workers from the informal economy to the formal labour market.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request addressed directly to the Government.