Thailand
Laos protecting benefits, rights of workers overseas
Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare has been successful in protecting the benefits and rights of Lao workers employed abroad, especially in Thailand, according to a leading official.
Minister Labour and Social Welfare, Mr Khampheng Xaysompheng highlighted the successful efforts of authorities in assisting Lao workers overseas in his report to the National Assembly (NA) at the 4th Ordinary Session of the NA’s 8th legislature. He said the ministry has cooperated with Thailand, Republic of Korea and Japan as well as labour recruitment agencies to arrange for Lao workers to gain employment in these countries.
“We can confirm that the ministry has been successful in helping Lao workers in Thailand because Laos has signed a labour agreement to open an assistance centre in Bangkok,” he said.
The centre aims to help Lao workers in Thailand who currently hold purple cards (work permits), to ensure they are fully legal and are registered with the authorities.
Thailand has also set up assistance centres in all of its provinces to register Lao workers who can prove their identity.
At present, the ministry is cooperating with related ministries to send officials to the assistance centres in Thailand to find the exact numbers of Lao workers in Thailand who need help from the government. This included providing assistance for Lao workers who do not have legal documentation.
These authorities will confirm workers’ Lao nationality as required by the Ministry of Public Security.
The Lao workers will also receive temporary identity certificates issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as work permits issued by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.
Under the cooperation agreement, signed in September, the ministry can process over 17,000 Lao workers. Since august to October 12, about 6,460 people have been registered with the authorities in Thailand. At present, there are 71,000 Lao workers in Thailand who hold purple cards.
According to recent Thai authority reports, at present, there are an estimated 158,000 illegal Lao workers out of the 1.5 million such foreign workers in Thailand.
The Thai government has introduced purple cards for foreign workers without full documentation as an interim measure. This gives workers time to apply for the necessary documents including a work permit and visa as well as a passport after confirming their nationality with their country of origin.
Not many Lao workers have obtained work in Korea under the labour agreement as they do not possess the necessary skills required by employers.
Source: http://www.vientianetimes.org.la/FreeContent/FreeConten_Laos.html