Supamart
Kasem
The plan to train Thai workers to replace
illegal Burmese factory labour has failed, Labour Minister Wut Sukosol was
told yesterday.
About 80% of the locals who applied for jobs resigned before they
finished training, Suchart Visuwan, president of the Tak Industrial
Council, said.
Many of those who completed the course and began work quit within two
or three weeks, complaining about the hard work even though they were paid
full wages and overtime pay.
The minister was told about 30 factories had closed down since last
August when the government began pushing illegal migrants back to Burma in
order to make room for the unemployed Thais.
Some operators had moved their machinery to Bangkok or other provinces
far from the border and set up business by once again hiring illegal
foreign workers.
Panithi Tangpati, president of the Tak Chamber of Commerce, estimated
losses to the local industrial sector stood at around four billion
baht.
In the agricultural sector, the damage was around one billion baht, he
said. Huge crops of vegetables, roses and other products had been left to
rot because there were no labourers to work the fields.
Mr Panithi said the private sector in the province agreed in principle
with the government's policy to repatriate illegal Burmese workers.
However, the government should allow some leeway so businesses could hire
Burmese workers as well as local labour at a ratio to be worked out.
The Burmese could be issued border passes so they could cross into
Thailand each day to work and return home at night.
He understood the Burmese authorities tended to favour the border pass
arrangement.
The labour minister said the government's concern about the security
threat posed by the large presence of illegal workers from Burma was
justified but sympathised with local businesses and promised to raise
their problems with the cabinet.
An estimated one million illegal migrants from Burma worked in Thailand
before the forced repatriation began, including about 30,000 in Tak alone
as either farm hands or garment factory workers. Only about 100,000 were
officially allowed to remain, working in 18 categories of business in 37
provinces.