Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2000, published 89th ILC session (2001)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Thailand (Ratification: 1969)

The Committee notes the information contained in the Government’s detailed report, as well as information provided by the Regional Office. The Committee would appreciate receiving further information on the following points.

Article 1 of the Convention.  The Government states that the economy grew at minus 8 per cent in 1998, but recovered in 1999 with growth of 4 per cent. The labour force participation rates in 1998 and 1999 were 69.05 per cent and 68.78 per cent, respectively. The unemployment rates were 4.37 per cent in 1998 and 4.17 per cent in 1999, and the Government aims to bring unemployment down to a maximum of 3.5 per cent in 2000. Underemployment grew by 34.27 per cent in the first quarter of 1999, but decreased by 9.93 per cent in the first quarter of 2000.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MOLSW) has launched a master plan to promote employment in both urban and rural areas, and has implemented numerous programmes that focus on employment promotion in both urban and rural areas. Please provide further information on the outcome of these programmes.

The Committee notes that the Government is examining, with ILO technical assistance, whether to develop an unemployment insurance scheme. Please provide further information on the outcome of these deliberations. It also notes that the Government has established a Labour and Social Welfare Information Centre within the MOLSW. Please provide further information on the Centre’s role and functions.

Article 1, paragraph 2(c).  The Committee notes that the Labour Protection Act, 1998, provides measures promoting gender equality and some programmes have been implemented which target women. The Committee also notes, however, the Government’s statement that women workers "now have better protection as some categories of work are forbidden to women". The Committee asks the Government to provide further information on these proscribed categories and to explain the reasons why these jobs are deemed unsuitable for women.

Article 2.  The Government states that macroeconomic measures taken include relaxing monetary policy and expansionary fiscal policies. Some price controls have been set up to alleviate poverty, and the Government is examining decentralized minimum wages to better promote employment. The Committee notes this information and requests details on the extent to which trade policies take into account employment promotion, as requested in the report form under Article 2. The Committee also notes the Government’s statement that despite the quick recovery from the financial crisis it should launch a clear policy on industrial development and investment promotion for a framework for efficient labour market production. Please provide further information on any such policy developments, and on which institutions are designed to function on a longer term basis after the economy fully recovers. Please also state how employment promotion is taken into account in the Ninth Economic and Social Development Plan.

The Committee notes with interest that the measures mentioned by the Government involve all of the important ministries, and not just the MOLSW. Please provide further information on how the policies and programmes of the various ministries are coordinated.

The Government states that the model used by the Department of Employment for collecting labour market data is limited and may lead to inaccurate identification of labour market trends. The Government and the ILO have undertaken several technical cooperation projects to improve the frequency, timeliness and content of labour force surveys, and on how to better use this information for policy planning. Please provide further information on the follow-up action taken. Please explain how the National Statistics Office and the MOLSW cooperate. Please also specify whether the Government intends to develop a set of core labour market indicators, improve establishment surveys, collect more information on the informal sector and displaced workers, and improve interaction between producers and users of labour market information.

Article 3.  The Committee notes that the tripartite National Labour Advisory Development Council has made several recommendations to the Government since 1998 concerning, inter alia, labour protection and labour relations, restructuring tripartism and social security. The Advisory Council also recommended that the Government ratify the Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144). Please provide information on the outcome of these recommendations. Please also provide information on any consultations with representatives of rural and informal sector workers, as requested in the report form under Article 3.

Part IV of the report form.  The Committee notes the various technical cooperation projects listed in the Government’s report. Please provide further information on the outcome of these projects.