The Permanent Secretary of Labour concluded the 10th ASEAN Regional Tripartite Social Dialogue Conference (ARTSDC), where ideas were exchanged among ASEAN member states to promote fair transition for workers into the future of work.
On December 17, 2019, at 16.30 hours, Permanent Secretary of Labour Mr. Suthi Sukosol chaired the closing speech of the 10th ASEAN Regional Tripartite Social Dialogue Conference (ARTSDC), at the Avani Atrium Hotel, Bangkok. The conference was held between December 16-17, 2019, with the central theme being to strengthen social partnerships and the fusion of fair and balanced transition into the future. The event’s participants were 120 people from ASEAN member countries, including government representatives, trade unions, employers’ organizations, the ASEAN Secretariat, and the International Labour Organization. The meeting took place in a tripartite format, scheduled annually, in which the host is the country holding the ASEAN chairmanship. The focus of the conference is to understand the future of the work and the Centenary Declaration of the International Labour Organization. The declaration attaches importance to promoting guidelines that focus on public participation, ensuring workers receive fundamental rights and protection, support in the development of skills and learning throughout all ages, and formulating policies to respond to the future of work and policies that promote access to valuable work.
In addition, the meeting discussed and exchanged operational guidelines to promote the development of professional skills through cooperation with trade unions and tripartite. It suggested that the skill development course should be in a hybrid form, which will open opportunities for learning digital skills to support future work and practice, including ways to promote the participation of social partners to create an excellent atmosphere to prepare workers for the future, and adjustment of the workforce to make the most benefit. There was also discussion on the transition from informal to formal employment, through driving relevant ASEAN documents as well.
“The past two days of success have proven that tripartite cooperation is important for working on a base of responsibility and aligning practices to promote a fair and balanced transition to the future of the work. Promoting the role of social partners through support of ASEAN Member States to make the most of digital technology, and together, being cautious of risks arising from the digital age is key, including the promotion of operations based on various laws and regulations for ASEAN workers to have the capacity to sustain in the future,” the Permanent Secretary concluded.
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Division of Public Relations
Photos by Kantipon Kusmit
18 December 2019
