The Labour Minister, Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, reported that the Ministry of Labour realizes the importance of informal workers, who are an important force driving the country’s economy and society. They are the largest group of workers, with over 20 million people. The focus is to ensure they have access to basic rights to work and have social security principles, ensuring work safety and a better quality of life. This is especially relevant to employees who do housework, where the legal protection is still not comprehensive and is not consistent with the economic conditions of a changing society. Therefore, the Government, through the Ministry of Labour, is constantly pushing for laws to expand protection for employees who do housework, which has now been announced in the Royal Gazette to come into effect on April 30.
Mr. Phiphat continued that the Ministry of Labour has issued Ministerial Regulation No. 15 (2024) in accordance with the Labour Protection Act B.E. 2541, which was published in the Royal Gazette on April 30, 2024, providing increased protection for employees who do housework in 11 areas, including 1) Have no more than 8 hours of work per day. 2) Have a break of not less than 1 hour. 3) Have the right to take time off for necessary business. 4) Pregnant female employees are prohibited from working from 22.00 hours to 06.00 hours, overtime, or on holidays. 5) Female employees get 98 days of maternity leave. 6) Employees’ employment cannot be terminated due to pregnancy. 7) Employers are required to report child workers. 8) Child employees have the right to 30 days of paid training. 9) Female employees receive paid maternity leave for 45 days. 10) Employers are prohibited from deducting wages, overtime pay, holiday pay, and overtime pay on holidays. 11) Employees receive wages not less than the minimum wage rate, which is now in effect.
“We aim to push the law to protect informal workers and provide social security to improve their quality of life in various dimensions, which will lead to further improving the quality of life of our workforce,” said Mr. Phiphat.
