Labour Minister, H.E. Police General Adul Sangsingkeo invited relevant agencies to discuss assistance of Thai workers in Israel, deploying 11 medical teams to check workers’ health and scan for risk of sudden unexpected death syndrome from November 27 to December 1, 2018 and will plan a visit to closely examine Thai workers in Israel soon.
On November 28, 2018 at the Prof. Nikom Conference Room on the 5th floor, Ministry of Labour, Labour Minister H.E. Police General Adul Sangsingkeo spoke about the news claiming exploited Thai workers in Israel receiving lower compensation than the law and working in substandard conditions, whereby in the past six years, more than 170 Thai workers in Israel have died. The government under the leadership of Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha has been concerned and assigned the Ministry of Labour to monitor the situation and assist urgently. Today, relevant agencies that are the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Social Security Office, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) met to discuss assistance measures and have instructed the Advisory Minister (on Labour) of the Labour Office in Israel (Tel Aviv) to lead a team of 11 doctors and nurses from the Department of Medical Services, Ministry of Public Health to screen for risk factors with EKG and monitor areas with a history of workers’ deaths. Emphasis is on the study and evaluation of work and living conditions to find the determinants of Thai workers’ deaths in Israel which will occur between November 27 and December 1, 2018. The team has also been instructed to closely monitor, check the evidence and solve problems, whereby video conferences with the minister have been ongoing.
In 2012, the Thai government signed a labour agreement with the Israeli government on temporary employment of Thai workers in the agricultural sector in Israel. There are currently 24,746 Thai workers working in Israel with a 2-year duration of employment with the option of renewal for another 3 years and 10 months, not exceeding 5 years and 10 months. The workers are mainly in the agricultural sector, whereby the minimum wage in Israel is 5,300 Israel Shekels or about 47,000 Baht. Legal Thai workers deployed by the Department of Employment pass through a selection process including health checks to ensure workers are ready to work in the Israeli agricultural sector.
Pol.Gen. Adul said that the Ministry of Labour has measures to ensure that Thai workers in Israel receive legal benefits. In the past, Thai workers have been able to claim over than 47 million Baht in compensation. The Labour Minister and committee are planning to meet Thai workers in Israel soon to understand the issues and find solutions. If there are problems, complaints can be made through the Labour Relations section at the Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv, which is the main agency assisting workers in Israel.
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Division of Public Relations/
November 29, 2018/
