Labor
Labor policy and administration
Critics question ministry’s claim of resolving most labour disputes
The Ministry of Labour on 17 February announced a nearly 40 per cent drop in the number of Cambodians who went on strike last year before then taking credit for successfully resolving the vast majority of those work stoppages, a claim met with widespread scepticism from ...
Longer stay for migrant workers proposed
Currently, migrant workers from other countries possessing “pink-card work permits” can work in Thailand for one year and are required to renew their permits if they want to continue working. Under a new proposal, migrant workers can work for two years before renewing theirpermits. The workers ...
Malaysia visa fee increase waived for thousands of workers
More than 2400 Myanmar workers left in the lurch while Malaysia and Myanmar dispute a visa fee will have their applications processed under the previous – much cheaper – payment schedule, according to the Ministry of Labour. Myanmar recruitment agencies have been boycotting Malaysia – long ...
More talks between employers and employees needed
Thirty per cent of Vietnamese companies hold discussion sessions each month to air employees’ grievances, a survey by the Labour and Salary Department has found. The remainder of the 120 companies surveyed held discussions once a quarter or annually. Keep reading ...
Armed Chinese threaten Lao banana workers
Armed Chinese guards are forcing Lao workers in the country’s northern Oudomxay province to labor in banana plantations contaminated with dangerous chemicals, local sources tell RFA’s Lao Service. A chief of the Nongbouadeang village in the province’s Houn district told RFA that 50 Lao workers in ...
Bavet SEZ hashes out fears with deputy PM
A representative of a Svay Rieng province special economic zone that was rocked by violent strikes in December discussed security and law enforcement during a meeting on 2 February with Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An, the province’s ruling party lawmaker. Keep reading ...
Lao human resource development trends matching labour demand
Human resource development trends have gradually coincided with labour demand as 146,486 people graduated from Laos’ various educational institutes in various fields over the past five years, a report has showed. Of the graduates, 4,629 people finished their education courses in foreign countries, while the remainder ...
New drive to register illegal labour in Thailand
Thailand’s Labour Ministry is preparing to document illegal migrant workers nationwide as part of the government’s attempt to crack down on illegal worker numbers and upgrade its records, says Department of Employment head Arak Phrommanee. The plan will target specific geographic areas where illegal migrants are ...
Labour unrest continues
An ongoing labour dispute turned violent on 1 February after striking garment workers in Kandal province said they were attacked by security guards, while in a separate case involving labour-related violence, a prominent union leader was summonsed for questioning over a scuffle he has publicly accused ...
Government tackles Thais illegally working abroad
Thailand’s Department of Employment is aiming to tackle the growing problem of Thais travelling abroad to work illegally, especially in South Korea. Arak Phrommanee, the department’s director-general, said there had been an increasing incidence of Thais travelling to South Korea as tourists and then picking up jobs without ...