Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin visited Phuket to prepare the workforce following government policy on opening the country to promote tourism to recover the economy quickly.
On June 30, 2021, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin chaired the meeting of the heads of government agencies under the Ministry of Labour in Phuket at the meeting room of the 3-story building, Phuket Institute of Skill Development 21. The Labour Minister’s Secretariat Mr. Suthep Chitayawong, the Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson (on politics), Mrs. Theanrat Nawamawat, Permanent Secretary of Labour Mr. Suthi Sukosol, Phuket Deputy Governor Mr. Pichet Panaphong, the Ministry of Labour’s Inspector-General Mr. Prateep Songlamyong, and the Ministry of Labour’s executives also joined the occasion. The Labour Minister said that Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha and Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, who oversees the Ministry of Labour, are concerned and want to improve the quality of life of the Thai workforce affected by the COVID-19 situation. Many countries have implemented lockdown measures or shut down cities to limit the movement of people and reduce close contact. The Labour Minister said that he was also concerned about the workforce. Therefore, he has implemented measures and assistance to remedy workers. All provinces have expedited the survey on insured persons’ need for COVID-19 vaccinations. Measures also promote employment opportunities for new graduates, skill development to support the new normal through up-skilling and re-skilling; there is an emphasis on labour rights protection and the creation of social security. There are also various measures to help entrepreneurs. Today, the Labour Minister visited the area to meet with the heads of government agencies under the Ministry of Labour in Phuket to monitor the situation and implement the Ministry of Labour’s mission to prepare for the opening of Phuket Town. He also visited an observed activities that are in line with the opening of the city, such as an assessment of knowledge for electricians, skill standards testing for electricians, awarding certificates to those who have passed the assessment of competence in the field of electricians, barista demonstrations and English language training through Zoom.
Mr. Suchart said that the Ministry of Labour had taken actions by local agencies to prepare for such measures, such as preparing vacancies to support the unemployed, freelance training especially in the tourism and service sectors, and up-skill/re-skill/new-skill to promote the workforce’s potential following the needs of businesses. It has also contributed to creating awareness, providing labour consultancy to establishments regarding the use of good labor relations between employers and employees, taking care of compensation benefits in case of unemployment from the impact of COVID-19, and promoting occupational safety, health, and working environment, to comply with the government policy in opening the country following the “Phuket Sandbox” project to promote tourism for the economy to recover quickly.
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Division of Public Relations
30 June 2021
