[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index
][Thread Index
]
BKK POST: January 19, 1998: Repatri
- Subject: BKK POST: January 19, 1998: Repatri
- From: suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 15:48:00
January 19, 1998
Repatriation 'won't hurt'
Only illegal workers to be expelled -
PM
Woranuj Maneerungsee and Supamart Kasem in
Phitsanulok
The government's plan to repatriate over 300,000 alien workers
will not affect labour-intensive businesses in Thailand because it
will target only illegal labour, Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai said
yesterday.
In his speech closing a chambers of commerce seminar at
Amarin Lagoon Hotel, Mr Chuan noted that only 200,000 alien
workers had been registered but their real number should be
much more.
"We must repatriate illegal alien workers to open chances for
Thai labourers who have been laid off to find jobs," he said.
The policy will not hurt legal businesses because the Interior
Ministry will aim only at illegal aliens. Anyway, the policy would
not be accomplished overnight so entrepreneurs would have
enough time to cope with the move, the premier said.
However, he promised that the government would permit alien
labour to remain in the businesses not attractive to Thai workers.
The government was seriously solving labour problems which
were related to social ones. It would introduce solutions to
labour problems in both industrial and agricultural sectors and
each province would have to study their particular problems and
solutions, Mr Chuan said.
Meanwhile, Vorapong Pitchpongsa, president of the Rice
Exporters Association, said that the alien labour repatriation
would affect rice exporters.
They were employing over 2,000 aliens to carry rice sacks, a
job Thai workers do not want, he said.
He suggested the Labour and Social Welfare Ministry come up
with plans to cope with the problem before the government starts
repatriating alien labour.