Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2009, published 99th ILC session (2010)

Maximum Weight Convention, 1967 (No. 127) - Thailand (Ratification: 1969)

The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its latest report indicating the adoption of the Ministerial Regulation prescribing the Standard for Administration and Management of Occupational Safety, Health and Environment B.E. 2549 (2006) which gives further effect to Article 5 of the Convention. The Committee further notes the response provided by the Government regarding Articles 3 and 4. The Committee asks the Government to supply a copy of the abovementioned Ministerial Regulation with its next report; and to continue to provide information on legislative measures undertaken with regards to the Convention.

Article 7. Female and young workers. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government indicating that the Ministerial Regulation of B.E. 2547 (2004) prescribes the maximum weight to be lifted, carried on head or shoulders, pulled or pushed as 20 kg for young female employees between the ages of 15 and 18 years old and 25 kg for female workers. Noting its previous reference to the ILO publication “Maximum weights in load lifting and carrying”, which provides for 15 kg as the limit, recommended from an ergonomic point of view, admissible for occasional lifting and carrying for women aged between 19 and 45 years old and the terms of Article 7, the Committee reiterates its hope that the Government will re-examine the current limits of admissible loads to be transported manually by women and to provide information with its next report on measures taken in this respect.

The Committee further notes the Government’s response indicating that the Labour Protection Act 1998 prohibits the employment of persons aged under 15 years, including in work involving manual transport of loads. With reference to Paragraph 21 of the Maximum Weight Recommendation, 1967 (No. 128), the Committee hopes that the Government will undertake measures in the near future to raise the minimum age for assignment to manual transport of loads, to 16 years.

Part V of the report form. Labour inspection. The Committee notes the statistics provided by the Government from the 2007 report on labour inspection, including disaggregated data on the number of inspected employees, and information indicating that female employees in five establishments were assigned to manual transport of loads in excess of the weight permitted by law. The Committee requests the Government to provide further information on the measures taken by the labour inspectorate in the event of unlawful practice by an employer with regard to maximum permissible weight limits for manual transport of loads. With reference to its previous comments, the Committee also asks the Government to provide information on measures taken or envisaged to address the issue, raised by the National Congress of Thai Labour in its 2005 observations, on the inefficiency of labour inspection due to lack of personnel.