The Labour Minister received requests for the National Labour Day from the Chairman of the National Labour Day Event Organizing Committee to be presented to the Prime Minister.
Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin said that for National Labour Day on May 1, it is customary for labour leaders to request government action in supporting the workforce. Today, representatives of the National Labour Day Organizing Committee for 2021, including Chairman of the Committee Mr. Suchart Thailuan, and Secretary to the Committee Mr. Awut Pinyoyong, submitted requests to the government. The government, under the leadership of Prime Minister and Defense Minister General Prayuth Chanocha and Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, who oversees the Ministry of Labour, have emphasized the importance of the workforce by considering the actions as requested by the labour leaders. The Ministry of Labour is committed to developing workers to have high potential and improve the quality of life for the workers and their families. Efforts aim to provide stability, for workers to be able to live sustainably and with dignity, achieving balanced development in all aspects, including the prevention and solution of human trafficking, occupational safety, employment promotion, migrant worker management, social security for informal workers, and vulnerable groups and skill development. It also aims to raise the level of social security for the workforce to receive the most benefits, in line with the demands of the past year.
The Labour Minister added that there were seven requests made to the government, divided into the following 16 issues:
1. The government shall adopt the International Labour Organization Convention No. 87 on the freedom to establish labour unions and No. 98 on negotiation.
2. The government shall urgently introduce the Labour Relations Act B.E…..and amendments which have been through public hearings and entered the parliamentary process.
3. The government shall amend the Labour Protection Act, B.E. 2541
3.1. The government shall exempt the last income tax received by private employees in the case of retirement under the Labour Protection Act, B.E. 2541.
3.2. The government must take steps to find measures for business establishments with contracted employees to strictly comply with the Labour Protection Act, B.E. 2541, Section 11/1.
3.3. The government shall announce the repeal of Ministerial Regulation No. 7 of the Labour Protection Act.
3.4. The government shall provide employees with the right to receive money that the employer has to pay under the Labour Protection Act, in the second preference.
4. The government shall reform additional amendments regarding Social Security as follows:
4.1. Adjust the base for receiving a pension at a starting rate of 5,000 Baht.
4.2. If the insured retirees have received a pension when applying to be an insured person under Section 39, they shall be entitled to continue to receive a pension. Insured persons who receive a pension must keep their rights in 3 cases: disability, medical treatment, and funeral expenses.
4.3. For insured persons no longer under Section 33 and continue their insurance under Section 39, the calculation of the original wages for 60 months as compensation, whereby requesting to use the wage base from Section 33.
4.4. Increase the medical insurance benefit under Section 40 as insured persons under Section 33 and Section 39.
4.5. Extend the age of insured persons from 15–60 years to 15–70 years to fit the aging society.
4.6. In the case of insured persons under Section 40, to create incentives and reduce inequality, whereby options one and option two shall be combined as one option.
4.7. If the insured person has reached 55 years of age and has submitted contributions for 180 months, he or she has the right to choose to receive between the two pension schemes.
5. The government shall expedite legislation to protect, promote, and develop informal workers’ quality to have the right to establish an organization.
6. The government shall provide a retirement welfare fund system for employees in state enterprises, comparable with the official welfare system and employees in the private sector. The government shall reduce the final income tax received from the employer called the compensation, the work preferences in the state enterprise law.
7. The Labour Minister shall appoint a working group to follow up on National Labour Day requests for 2020.
The additional requests from 2020, that in Article 3, for the government to amend the Labour Protection Act B.E. 2541 in sub-clause 3.3, the government shall announce the repeal of the Ministerial Regulation No. 7 of the Labour Protection Act and sub-clause 3.4 for the government to ensure employees are entitled to receive the money the employer has to pay under the Labour Protection Act, in the second preference.
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Division of Public Relations
30 April 2021
