The Ministry of Labour’s Inspector-General and committee met with the Consul General in Dubai to discuss official matters on the growing demand for Thai workers in the service sector. The committee also met with employers who hire Thai workers, whereby employers showed appreciation of skilled Thai workers with accountability. Meanwhile, the Thai workers were satisfied with the employment conditions, welfare and wages, and were reminded to work with the labour department when in need of help.
On June 26, 2019, the Ministry of Labour’s Inspector-General Mr. Tawat Benchatikul and the Department of Employment’s Inspector-General Mrs. Paween Weechit, the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare’s Inspector-General Mr. Manoj Saenggaew, the Social Security Office’s Inspector-General Ms. Sumnatha Praisuwanna, Minister Counsellor (on Labour) Ms. Sopik Mhudpongtua from Abu Dhabi, UAE, and the Director from the Office of Inspection and Evaluation, Office of the Permanent Secretary Mr. Achwin Pujchakan visited Thai workers and met the executives of Crown Emirates Company that manufactures aluminum beverage cans and cosmetics for example. The company ranks 1 in 3 at the global level and has 175 employees, of which 122 are Thai workers. The committee then met and discussed with the company’s management to find their satisfaction with Thai workers and the workers themselves were content with compensation and good welfare. Most of the Thai workers have worked at the company for a long time with the longest tenure at 28 years. The company still has confidence in the skills and accountability of Thai workers, wanting more Thai workers to continue to join, but because the method of selecting Thai workers is complicated and slower than other countries, it has caused the company to hire employees from other countries, such as the Philippines, and therefore proposed that the Ministry of Labour should develop a quicker selection system that would benefit Thai workers greatly.
The Ministry of Labour’s Inspector-General and committee paid a courtesy call and discussed official matters with Consul General Mr. Chairat Siriwat in Dubai. The Consul General informed the committee that Dubai still required Thai workers in the service sector, specifically airline staff, chefs and massage staff. However, the problem is the lack of English language skills; therefore, Thai workers often lose out on the opportunity when competing with other nationalities, such as the Philippines. Thus, he suggested that there should be training or focus on the development of English skills for Thai workers before traveling to work abroad. Dubai’s labour market is still open to Thai workers because Dubai is targeting to become a financial city with real estate investment. Furthermore, employers are delighted with the work of Thai workers. As for the work of the Labour Department at the Royal Thai Embassy in Abu Dhabi, it is already working and coordinating closely with the Thai team.
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News & photos by Inspection and Evaluation Bureau/
28 June 2019
