Bangkok: "Chulaphan" receives a letter from the "People's Party and Labor Network" urging the revival of two labor protection laws in parliament. At the Parliament building, Mr. Julaphan Amornvivat, Minister of Labour, and a delegation of Pheu Thai Party MPs received a letter from representatives of workers, including representatives from the Textile Industry Workers' Federation and labor unions in the Rangsit and surrounding areas, led by Mr. Sia Champathong, MP of the People's Party, and his group. The letter requested that the Pheu Thai Party push for the enactment of labour protection legislation to meet the constitutional deadline for consideration by the current House of Representatives.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Sia Champathong stated that he had received complaints from workers regarding a request to coordinate with the Pheu Thai Party to push forward two labor protection bills. These bills had previously passed the first reading and a special committee had been established to review them. However, due to the dissolution of parliament during the second reading, both bills were dropped. He emphasized the importance of these bills in improving the quality of life for workers and therefore contacted the Pheu Thai Party. He noted that the Minister of Labor's personal visit today was a welcome development. Workers reiterated their desire for the Pheu Thai Party to push these two bills through. Given the remaining 60-day parliamentary session, there is still an opportunity to reinstate the bills. He urged the Pheu Thai Party leader and relevant ministers to reconsider and support the reinstatement of these bills and offered encouragement to all workers.
Mr. Thanapong Chuemuangphan, Vice President of the Textile Industry Workers' Federation, stated that the two draft Labor Protection Acts that were rejected are the draft Labor Protection Act, "the version with rest time," proposed by Mr. Charas Kumkhainam, which aims to return time to working people by setting a maximum of 40 working hours per week, increasing weekly days off, and increasing annual leave to 10 days. The other draft Labor Protection Act, "The Human Dignity Version," proposed by Ms. Wannavipa Maisan, aims to ensure that all workers are treated equally. It stipulates that workplaces must provide space for breastfeeding, workers have the right to leave to care for sick family members, and workers have the right to leave during menstruation.
Mr. Chulaphan Amornvivat stated after receiving the letter that this matter is a crucial issue for the labor sector. The Ministry of Labor is ready to listen to all concerns and suggestions for action. However, it is important to clarify the facts from the Cabinet meeting on May 5th. While the draft laws were presented for confirmation to Parliament, neither of them has been confirmed by the Cabinet, requiring the process to restart. Therefore, it is necessary to adhere to the facts. The consideration process is based on reason and logic. In principle, the Ministry of Labor believes the draft laws are beneficial in many dimensions and contain several proposals that are advantageous to workers. The current economic crisis, including the energy price crisis and its impact on businesses, may have a continuing effect on employment and affect workers, especially daily wage earners. Therefore, this is an issue that the government must prioritize and consider carefully. He confirmed that the proposals on various iss ues, particularly labor protection such as leave rights, menstrual leave, and other welfare benefits, will be accepted and incorporated into the drafting process by a working group. Following this, the draft laws will be expedited for submission to the House of Representatives. He is confident that the next amendment to the law will result in a bill that comprehensively addresses the needs of workers, covering both labor aspects and economic impacts. The Ministry of Labor is ready to work with MPs from all political parties to ensure that the resulting laws provide the greatest benefit to workers.