The Ministry of Labour joined the Thai Red Cross in visiting Pathum Thani province to discuss with all departments and various business operators on implementing protection measures and self-care methods for foreign workers, using cloth masks and hand washing gel to be safe from COVID-19.
On May 15, 2020, Assistant to the Labour Minister Dr. Duangrit Benjathukul Chairungrueng chaired the meeting to listen to the opinions on the prevention of the COVID-19 virus spread in Pathum Thani. Deputy Permanent Secretary of Labour Mrs. Thienrat Nawamawat also joined the occasion. The Deputy Labour Minister said because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government is concerned about people at risk, including the elderly, people with medical conditions, foreign workers, and living in populated communities. The Ministry of Labour has therefore collaborated with the Thai Red Cross, the Department of Health Service Support, the Ministry of Public Health, the Pathum Thani Red Cross, Pathum Thani Provincial Health Office, and departments under the Ministry of Labour in Pathum Thani. The collaboration provided knowledge about measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus among migrant workers, as well as listening to the opinions of business operators at Talad Thai, Talad Airaya and foreign worker representatives in Pathum Thani, regarding measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus among migrant workers. The occasion also allowed foreign workers working in Thailand to learn how to protect themselves from COVID-19.
In this regard, the Labour Minister’s Assistant visited and met with foreign workers at TalatdThai, Pathum Thani, and also ensured that the migrant workers follow social distancing measures. They also gave out 500 cloth masks and hand washing gel to give to the foreign workers, to protect themselves from COVID-19.
The Deputy Labour Minister spoke about the Ministry of Labour’s protective measures against COVID-19 among migrant workers. The measures can be divided into three principal categories. They include the prevention and the delay in importing foreign workers from March 23 until the situation returns to normal; the relaxation of measures allowing migrant workers to stay in the Kingdom and continue to work until November 30, 2020, and the screening and monitoring of migrant workers at the Port-In Port-Out (PIPO) control center. The Ministry of Labour has asked for cooperation from organizations throughout the country, to publicize and educate employees and insurers in the workplace about COVID-19, and to follow the Ministry of Public Health’s recommendations in notifying workplace employers about screening foreign workers and monitoring the virus outbreak which will prevent the spread of COVID-19 among migrant workers. The Ministry of Labour has worked in collaboration with the Thai Red Cross, Department of Health Service Support, and the Ministry of Public Health. It provides knowledge and understanding about prevention methods by publishing documents in the language of foreign workers to create knowledge about mitigation measures. Measures also distributing relief items, with a screening process and a 14-day self-quarantine as determined by the Ministry of Public Health. The measures include a compilation of lists from organizations that employ foreign workers or places that are at high-risk and have large populations of migrant workers in all provinces nationwide, to inform the COVID-19 Pandemic Management Center to plan for testing, following proactive prevention measures together with public health workers and foreign worker health volunteers.
There are also remedial measures, including the provision of medical services to insured persons suffering COVID-19, unemployment benefits adjustments, the reduction of contribution rates, and extension on the payment date for submitting the employer and insured persons’ contributions. Measures after the COVID-19 situation relaxes include promoting employment for Thai people into the employment system, preparing information on the necessity of using foreign workers in the country, and the movement of foreign workers.
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Division of Public Relations
