On December 7, 2022, the Labour Minister, Mr. Suchart Chomklin, gave a speech at the ILO’s 17th Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting at the Raffles City Convention Center, Singapore. The Assistant to the Labour Minister, Mr. Surachai Chaitrakulthong, the Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Boonchob Suttamanaswong, the Ministry of Labour’s executives, representatives from the government, employers, and employees also joined the occasion.
Mr. Suchart congratulated the ILO and the Government of Singapore on successfully hosting the Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting and agreed with the ILO Director-General’s report that social justice is essential for people-centered rehabilitation, using effective social dialogue. In his speech, he shared an example of good practices in Thailand. Under the leadership of Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha, the Ministry of Labour has implemented several measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and help businesses and workers recover from the COVID-19 situation. Examples include the Job Expo in 2020, which created jobs for 2.6 million workers, and the Co-Payment project, which successfully promoted youth employment. Through joint measures between the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Public Health, the government managed COVID-19 outbreaks in the workplace. They distributed vaccines faster, giving access to workers of all nationalities. The Factory Sandbox project was developed to cope with the impact of COVID-19 by balancing the economy and public health. Workers in manufacturing were able to continue their employment and income. Protection was offered through testing, vaccination, and isolation. The project supported establishments in health protection for employees, enabling the country to maintain over 400,000 jobs and create the highest export value in 30 years. The government increased unemployment benefits for those laid off or unable to work due to quarantine, including financial support for 200,000 employers, covering 12 million employees, with a special focus on SMEs. There were also employment retention measures for SMEs to support 400,000 small businesses and retain employment for 5 million workers, including creating over 60,000 new jobs.
Mr. Suchart continued that the above statistics show that Thailand has been successful in the recovery process in almost every sector, including the recovery of the manufacturing and tourism sectors. The IMF has announced that Thailand has the lowest unemployment rate in the world. The unemployment rate during the COVID-19 peak was just 1.5 percent and has improved to 1.0 percent this year. However, there is still a lot to do to enable a people-centered recovery that is comprehensive, sustainable, and flexible. He said the new policy is “Because Security is the Foundation of Life.” New laws for informal workers and innovations in labour institutions will create opportunities, stability, and a good quality of life for all workers. They have requested the ILO’s support through the new Thailand Decent Work National Programme.
“I reaffirm Thailand’s commitment to cooperating with the ILO and the international community towards a post-COVID-19 recovery. We hope to build a future with productive employment and valuable work, without leaving anyone behind,” concluded Mr. Suchart.
The ILO’s 17th Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting is one of the four regional frameworks of the International Labour Organization (ILO), namely Asia and the Pacific, the Americas, Africa, and Europe, which are held regularly every year, rotating into each region accordingly. The APRM Meeting is scheduled to be held every four years to provide a forum for consultation and presentation of views and recommendations by the trilateral representatives of the 47 Asian and Pacific Member States and the Gulf States on the implementation of regional activities of the ILO.
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Division of Public Relations
