Today (March 11, 2019), Labour Minister H.E. Police General Adul Sangsingkeo together with Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Jarin Chakkaphark; Director of the Department of Employment, Mrs. Petcharat Sinauy;and the ministry’s executives, visited Chiang Mai to commence a project on workforce preparation with vocational guidance for workers who are not in the employment system, and launched activities to promote work at home, organized by the Chiang Mai Office of Employment. The committee also visited informal and home worker groups at the Natrada Cotton Group, Moo 3, San Kamphaeng San Kamphaeng, Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai Provincial Governor, Mr. Supachai Iamsuwan welcomed 50 participants comprising home workers and people who passed professional training for a career and income. The training provided knowledge about benefits of insurers under Section 40, rights and responsibilities of informal workers and the Protection of Home Workers Act B.E. 2553, development and promotion of work to do at home, group gatherings, group renewals/person receiving work at home and borrowing funds for homeworkers. The event also showcased products and facilitated learning exchanges between groups/individuals of home workers and held an exhibition of each relevant agency.
After the event commencement, Labour Minister H.E. Police General Adul Sangsingkeo said that informal labour accounts for most of the workforce with a total of 21.2 million people and is an important force in driving the economy and society of the country. The government has policies for informal workers to receive protection and access to various social welfare systems equal to workers in the system. The Ministry of Labour has formed urgent policies in promoting and developing informal workers to have a career with income, social security and a good quality of life. The initiative is under the integration and cooperation of relevant agencies to develop skills, promote access to capital and markets, create insurance as an insurer under Section 40, provide protection and create workplace safety. Chiang Mai mostly consists of informal workers totaling 624,616 people or 60.18 percent, whereas 413,365 or 39.82 percent of the workforce are in the system. A majority, that is 379,962 people work in the agricultural sector and 263,435 are non-agricultural workers mostly working in the retail and repair of motor vehicles industries, followed by the construction industry.
On this occasion, the Labour Minister gave a loan from the home worker fund to the Lan Tong Women Development Group, approved by the Department of Employment in amount of 150,000 baht. In Chiang Mai, 15 groups totaling 33 people are registered with homeworkers at the Chiang Mai Employment Office.
Gen. Adul then presented certificates to the Ton Lan Village, Moo 7, Sop Poeng, Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai with universal social security or the One Tambon, One Village project of the Chiang Mai Social Security Office. There are 389,851 insured persons in Chiang Mai province, comprising 228,504 insured persons under section 33, 92,689 persons under Section 39 and 68,658 persons under Section 40. The Chiang Mai Social Security Office has driven the “One Tambon, One Village, Universal Social Security” project by coordinating with the district chiefs, village leaders and volunteer workers to create a social security network that pushed for universal social insurance. At present, there are 265 people aged between 15-60 years old who are informal workers that qualify, whereby 133 persons have applied for insurance under Section 40. The Chiang Mai Social Security Office has promoted and recruited 100 percent of the target insured persons into the social security system.
The Labour Minister and committee then visited the product showcase and demonstration of groups that had trained from the career building program to create income for 2019 for 5 groups of homeworkers and informal workers. The groups included: 1. Nattarada Cotton Group in the sewing of finished garments and rope bags located at no. 4/3 Moo 3, San Kamphaeng, San Kamphaeng, Chiang Mai Province, established as a group of home workers with the Department of Employment in 2017. There are 10 members with an average income of 500,000 Baht/month and average profit of 80,000 Baht/month. The source of work is a shop and distribution channels are flea markets, walking streets, Line, Facebook and customer orders. 2. The Lan Tong Women Development Group in garment sewing work, located at no. 135, Moo 1, Nam Phrae, Phrao, Chiang Mai, established as a group of home workers with the Department of Employment in 2008. There are 23 members with an average income of 90,000 Baht/month and average profit of 70,000 Baht/month. The source of work is from normal persons. 3. The Isada Cloth Bag Group in bag sewing work, located at no. 35, Moo 2, On Tai, San Kamphaeng, Chiang Mai, established as a group of homeworkers with the Department of Employment in 2016. There are 10 members with an average income of 150,000 Baht/month and profit of 30,000 Baht/month. The source of work is from normal persons and distribution channels are flea markets, walking streets and customer orders. 4. The Wanida Handmade group in handmade jewelry from wax rope such as bracelets, rings and earrings for example, located at no. 20/1, Moo 4, Sop Poeng, Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai, established as a group of home workers with the Department of Employment in 2006. There are 5 members with an average income of 70,000 Baht/month and average profit of 40,000 Baht/Month. The source of work is a shop and distribution channels are flea markets, walking streets, Line, Facebook and customer orders. 5. The professional activities group which is an add value homeworker group (Nattarada Cotton Group) by reinventing leftover cotton fabrics into dolls, mobiles and key chains to increase value. It also increased occupation and income for the group and is expanded to the unemployed in the village. It currently has 28 members with an average income of 20,000 Baht/month.
Pol.Gen. Adul added that informal workers are an important force in national development. If they did not receive opportunities, have professional care, benefits and good social security, they would not have the immunity in sustaining life which would affect national development. Therefore, informal workers need to become skilled workers with knowledge, competency and capacity in line with various changes, including the creativity to create quality products and have the competitive potential in response to the market.
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Division of Public Relation/
11 March 2019
