On June 9, 2022, the Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin delivered a statement at the 110th International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. Assistant to the Labour Minister Mr. Surachai Chaitrakulthong, Assistant Minister from the Prime Minister’s Office, performing duties for the Ministry of Labour Police Major General Nantachat Supamongkol, Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Boonchob Suttamanaswong, the Ministry of Labour’s executives, government representatives, employer, and employee representatives also joined the event.
Mr. Suchart said that he congratulated the ILO for organizing this conference as a good sign showing revival. Most importantly, he thanked Mr. Guy Rider for his leadership and dedication during his tenure. Before the COVID-19 situation, Least Developed Countries (LDC) faced challenges in many ways. Today, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is even more difficult. Thailand is a partner and has worked with ASEAN countries, including in Asia and Africa, especially in social security, professional skill development, and skill standard systems. He said that Thailand would like to support and appreciate the Director-General’s efforts to focus on the issues of LDC and include them on the COVID-19 impact agenda, enabling them to be more resilient.
Mr. Suchart continued that Thailand, as a founding member of the ILO, is committed to promoting social justice, productive employment, and valuable work for everyone and maintaining inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
On this occasion, the Labour Minister gave examples of Thailand’s positive actions during the COVID-19 situation, such as joint measures between the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Public Health to cope with the COVID-19 crisis in the workplace, which was able to distribute vaccines faster and access workers of all nationalities. As a result, four million workers have been vaccinated by the Ministry of Labour. Additionally, he spoke about preservation measures for SMEs that supported 400,000 small businesses and maintained employment for five million workers, creating over sixty thousand new positions. Furthermore, the Factory Sandbox project was developed to cope with the impact of COVID-19 by creating a balance between economic and public health principles. Manufacturing workers received employment and income protection through screenings, vaccinations, and quarantine. The project has supported businesses and health protection for employees and enabled the country to maintain over 400,000 jobs, creating the highest export value in 30 years. This is a key factor for productive and full employment. Therefore, Thailand supports the setting of new labour standards for internships.
“I reaffirm Thailand’s commitment to cooperating with the ILO and the international community to move towards recovery after COVID-19. We hope to create a future with productive employment and valuable work without leaving anyone behind,” concluded Mr. Suchart.
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Division of Public Relations
9 June 2022
