The Ministry of Labour organized the Informal Labour Fair 2020, aiming to raise the quality of life of informal workers and over 20 million independent workers, strengthening the labour network to access government services and receive legal protection rights.
On February 21, 2020, at 10.00, Labour Minister M.R. Chatumongol Sonakul presided over the opening ceremony of the Informal Labour Fair 2020 at the Ministry of Labour. He said that the Ministry of Labour attaches importance to informal workers and independent workers, which are vital in driving the country’s economic and social systems, especially as Thailand has set the goal of liberation from being a developing country. Therefore, there is a need to lay the foundation for the country’s systematic independent labour development to provide a quality workforce with knowledge, capability, and skills consistent with various changes. The workers will be able to adapt to a stable career, make money, and expand learning in creating quality products. This can be achieved by establishing policies to improve the quality of life of informal and independent workers, such as preparing to support the aging society, promoting valuable work or decent work, developing social security systems, and benefits to ensure stability and good quality of life. It also aims to expand network integrations, promote, protect and build workplace safety, as well as establishing participatory management mechanisms between government, the private sector, and civil society. However, the development and promotion of the potential of the workforce must focus on strengthening the labour network in the form of integration with all sectors, including government, private, civil society, and localities as a mechanism to drive the integration into labour networks in various areas and strengthen the informal and independent workers’ access to government services, more sustainably.
The Department of Labour Protection and Welfare’s Director-General Mr. Apinya Sujarittanan further said that of the total 37.5 million employed people, 20.4 million people are informal and independent workers and 17.1 million workers are formal workers. It shows that over half of the total employed population are informal and self-employed workers. The occupations, working conditions, and working areas of informal and independent workers are diverse and different from informal workers. The Informal Labour Fair 2020 is intended for informal and self-employed workers to be aware of the importance of creating and developing networks, gathering for self-development at the local level and increasing opportunities for access to legal protection rights and other benefits, as well as improving the quality of life for informal and independent workers.
The event consisted of a talk on driving informal and independent workers at the local level, and about creating a labour network, exhibition of products from informal and self-employed workers, an exhibition on the network of government agencies and related organizations. The event consisted of 40 booths and was attended by over 900 people.
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Division of Public Relations
Photos by Pariyaron Phromsakha Na Sakonnakhon
News by the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare
21 February 2020
