Employers seek to register foreign workers

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Employers seek to register foreign workers
By The Nation

 

File photo

 

BANGKOK: -- THE JOINT Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) will soon ask the government to hold the third round to register nearly 3 million illegal foreign workers in the country, said Thai Frozen Foods Association president Poj Aramwattananont.

 

Many employers had not registered workers in the first and second rounds as they did not believe that they would be subjected to harsh punishment, Poj said, adding that now employers were facing a tougher government policy after the Decree on the Management of Foreign Workers Act 2017 came into effect on June 23. 

 

“As this new law came into effect almost immediately, many couldn’t adjust so the JSCCIB wanted the government to grant them some time and then allow a new round at convenient and clear service points,” he said.

 

The idea stemmed from a JSCCIB meeting yesterday, which also discussed the current legal requirement for employers to place a Bt20,000 deposit for each foreign worker hired. 

 

Poj said JSCCIB members thought the requirement was too strict and might adversely affect small and medium enterprises as well as the service, tourism, restaurant, agriculture and construction sectors. 

 

He added that the new decree would not affect large-scale business operators such as those in the fisheries industry that almost exclusively hired foreign workers because they had already been regulated in the government’s bid to curb illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and human trafficking. 

 

The fisheries industry reportedly needed an additional 70,000 workers and was willing to abide by new regulations to protect the workers, he added.

 

Meanwhile, an academic specialising in labour issues has questioned the necessity of issuing the new decree. Bundit Thanachaisetthawut of the Arom Phong Pha-ngan Foundation said that a formal decree allowed the government to promulgate or amend a law without first seeking public comment, as is otherwise required. He also noted that employers had expressed concern that hefty fines of Bt400,000 to Bt800,000 for employing illegal foreign workers could result in corruption as officials would seek bribes. 

 

Box:

The decree on the Management of Foreign Workers Act 2017

– Merges two existing laws – the Working of Aliens Act 2008 and the Royal Decree on the Placement of Aliens for Work with Employers in Thailand 2016.

– Prescribes harsher punishments against employers violating law including: 

1) those hiring an undocumented foreign worker;

2) those hiring a foreign employee who has no work permit or is working in one of 39 professions reserved for Thais;

3) those hiring a foreign worker who is registered as an employee of another entity

- The fines imposed against the law violators are hefty: an employer with 10 undocumented foreign workers will be fined Bt4 million to Bt8 million, at a rate of Bt400,000-Bt800,000 per worker.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30319504

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-06-30

[observer90210]

Whatever the new rules turn out, if...if  anybody is to be fined or punished,  it must be the employer and not the illegal migrant...

 

Then why hire illegal migrants? Why not take locals?....To reduce costs and pay them less, naturally, what else?...But in that case, it's unfair for the local manpower claiming higher wages?...Of course it is....but will you accept to pay a higher price for equivalent expertise, for your plumber or gardner for instance?...of course, I won't!!!!

[Time Traveller]

7 hours ago, observer90210 said:

Whatever the new rules turn out, if...if  anybody is to be fined or punished,  it must be the employer and not the illegal migrant...

 

Then why hire illegal migrants? Why not take locals?....To reduce costs and pay them less, naturally, what else?...But in that case, it's unfair for the local manpower claiming higher wages?...Of course it is....but will you accept to pay a higher price for equivalent expertise, for your plumber or gardner for instance?...of course, I won't!!!!

The government paranoia is kind of hard to understand. If their "official" statistics on unemployment are correct (it's one of the lowest in the world at 0.56%), then it's clear Thailand desperately needs workers.......

This is simply a distraction from society's real issues by a government that is in trouble

[Redline]

Nickle and dime everyone up the chain

[jethro69]

17 hours ago, observer90210 said:

Whatever the new rules turn out, if...if  anybody is to be fined or punished,  it must be the employer and not the illegal migrant...

 

Then why hire illegal migrants? Why not take locals?....To reduce costs and pay them less, naturally, what else?...But in that case, it's unfair for the local manpower claiming higher wages?...Of course it is....but will you accept to pay a higher price for equivalent expertise, for your plumber or gardner for instance?...of course, I won't!!!!

Agree, and it seems this time they really focus on the employers what is correct, rather to but all the blame on the migrants. Wondering how all this schools want get away with this, probably tuitions will go up for your kids.

On the second note, why not hire local, it's probably more about reliability and/or quality than the wages.

Edited June 30, 2017 by jethro69

[observer90210]

6 minutes ago, jethro69 said:

Agree, and it seems this time they really focus on the employers what is correct, rather to but all the blame on the migrants. Wondering how all this schools want get away with this, probably tuitions will go up for your kids.

On the second note, why not hire local, it's probably more about reliability and/or quality than the wages.

Yes why not, more quality with local manpower., but it would depend perhaps on which type of jobs? Some jobs not requiring qualifications were perfectly well fit with the migrants, but on the other hand people can be taught and learn fast. But if prices raise, it may not benefit the local community economies in populated areas, as customers would tend to either do the job themselves or to push the research for the cheapest labour, deeper into the country.

 

Nevertheless,  better have some good negotiating skills as a farang dealing with Thai contractors/sales persons etc......just my opinion from a bit of experience here and there!

[jethro69]

16 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

Yes why not, more quality with local manpower., but it would depend perhaps on which type of jobs? Some jobs not requiring qualifications were perfectly well fit with the migrants, but on the other hand people can be taught and learn fast. But if prices raise, it may not benefit the local community economies in populated areas, as customers would tend to either do the job themselves or to push the research for the cheapest labour, deeper into the country.

 

Nevertheless,  better have some good negotiating skills as a farang dealing with Thai contractors/sales persons etc......just my opinion from a bit of experience here and there!

That prices rises does not benefit the local community, but it fits the 'Elites" very well. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one who see it, it is going for many years. Put them all into consumers by granting them cheap (so they're told), buy sxxt they don't need, increase the household depts, until they got the last rai. Just wonder if they were thinking, who can buy something in Nokhon Nowhere, when they milked the cow already. In 20 years the Thais will not seek construction in Bahrain or Saudia Arabia, but in Cambodia or Myamar, and yes they deserve it because of their ignorance.

[thequietman]

Yes, that's it, blame the employee cause he/she is not from here and they understand the employment laws. Ignorance is no excuse, then f@@k it fine them all and send the Barstewrts back where they come from. Scummy foreigners. Wait! we need the scummy Burmese, get them back here.  So, we don't want to register them, we don't want to give them a fair wage, then what the f22k should we do? Pay the cops, pay the immigration, pay whom ever makes it right................ but what ever you do, give the employers a way out every time. It couldn't possibly be their fault, they know the law but hey! it has to be the foreigner workers fault. As foreigners, we assume the employer can be trusted .......... not the case, and they as Thai nationals are not at fault, now they can be fined but you, as an innocent employee, can also be fined.  How the F@@k can you be liable because your boss is a C@@t!