Foreign workers to be better protected

An executive decree on administration of foreign workers will help foreign workers working in Thailand, Labour Minister Sirichai Distakul says.

He said yesterday the decree will give better protection to foreign workers and ensure they will have a good quality of life while working in the country.

The Labour Ministry is preparing a draft of the document to be submitted to the cabinet for approval, according to Mr Sirichai.

He had submitted the draft to the Council of State to be checked on legal grounds.

If the draft passes, it will be forwarded to the cabinet for approval.

The executive decree will merge content in the Alien Working Act and the Royal Decree on Recruitment of Foreigners into one document, Mr Sirichai said.

Several amendments to the act and the royal decree will be needed as part of the process, he added.

The executive decree will cover aspects to ensure foreign workers will receive pay and welfare as stated in labour law and work in healthy conditions, Mr Sirichai said.

It also will set out details of the application process needed to work in Thailand legally and a list of employers’ responsibilities to their employees, according to the minister.

The decree will also contain types of work which foreign workers are allowed to do to promote the Thai employment market, he added.

One section will cover foreign worker levies for employers who hire foreign workers to work in their companies, according to Mr Sirichai.

It is not clear if this is a new tax on employers or how much it will cost.

Under the new decree, foreign workers will be given better protection, he noted.

Help will be provided to workers who have injuries related to work and for those who are treated unfairly by their employers who failed to follow the requirements in employment contracts, he said.

Meanwhile, the essence of the protection process that aims to cut the financial burden on workers will be carried over to the decree, said Mr Sirichai.

The decree will promote fair treatment among foreign workers, he said, adding it will limit the roles of job brokers who look for foreign workers to work in Thailand. No details were given on how they will be limited.

The ministry allowed people and labour organisations to get involved in the drafting process, Mr Sirichai said.

Members of this panel were drawn from state officials and representatives of the Confederation of Thai Labour, he added.