Thais spurn shop sale jobs, traders say
More than 100 business operators have petitioned the Labour Ministry to allow migrant labourers to work as front-of-shop sellers to address a labour shortage.
Front-shop sales are among 39 occupations reserved for Thai nationals under a 1979 royal decree.
The petition was lodged with Sombat Niwetrat, deputy director-general of the Department of Employment, after the group, which consists of sellers in the Pratunam and Ratchaprasong areas, rallied in front of the Smart Job Centre on the ministry’s premises yesterday.
They demanded Labour Minister Adul Sangsingkeo review the list of jobs reserved for Thais, saying front-shot sales should be exempt.
Mr Sombat said he would raise the group’s proposal at a meeting of the Foreigners Working Management Policy Commission today.
Kopong Thansuwan, a representative of the migrant workers’ employers in Pratunam, said shops selling clothes, and grocery items, and nail salons need migrant workers due to a labour shortage.
As Thais get better educated, they tend to belittle front-of-shop sales and no one wants the work despite the fact they can earn 400 baht a day, Mr Kopong said.
The government can also impose a condition that these migrant workers must not own the business themselves and the shops must have at least one Thai worker, the merchant said.
He also pointed out the current restriction opens the way for state officials to extort money from operators which secretly employ migrant workers.
“With the new harsher laws, this would open channels (for officers) to demand benefits,” said Mr Kopong. “If nothing is done to fix it, we may have to shut down our business which could affect the economy as a whole.”
Meanwhile, a ministry source said the Foreigners Working Management Policy Commission will discuss the list of jobs reserved for Thais today and a ministerial regulation regarding the matter is expected to come into force on June 30.
The Department of Employment has concluded the new list, which was forwarded to Pol Gen Adul. A total of 28 jobs would still be reserved for Thais, including front-of-shop sales, hairdressing and beauty salon work, the source said.