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Department of Labor Protection and Welfare signs agreement on statistic works against child labor

The Department of Labor Protection and Welfare has established an agreement with statistical and international organizations on a national survey on employment in Thailand.

The department on Wednesday (June 13th) signed the agreement with the National Statistical Office and the International Labor Organization (ILO) on the survey to observe an actual condition of child labor and illegal employment. The survey will help authorities create a plan to address child labor problems and promote sustainability in the future.

The Director-General of the Department of Labor Protection and Welfare, Ananchai Uthaiwattanachep, mentioned a report released by the United States in 2016 highlighting Thailand's success in the suppression of child labor, which is an outcome from the country's ratification to the ILO Convention No. 182.

Following the ratification, the Thai government has put on the national agenda for the 2015-2020 fiscal year on the eradication of harsh child labor, setting up a committee to drive forward the operations, legislating laws preventing the employment of children younger than 15 or 18 years old.

Throughout the year, the Thai authorities have inspected 42,000 workplaces, where 1,500 children were found working. A total of 10 children were found working illegally at six workplaces, particularly in seafood processing, garment, and sugar industries.

Mr. Ananchai said the frequent inspections and the low number of cases found serve as proof of low illegal child employment in Thailand.

On this matter, the ILO's DWT Director for East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Graeme Buckley, said data from this national campaign survey will be crucial for the solution against illegal child labor, while the agreement signed stresses the Thai government's commitment on this issue.

There are currently 512 million child workers in the world, 72 of whom are working in occupations that pose risks to their health and safety, including working at mines and working for long hours. Information from 2012-2016 also shows 19 million children are working in dangerous occupations, showing the world is still far from achieving the stop of child labor by the 2025 goal.

Information and Source
Reporter : Tanakorn Sangiam
Rewriter : Praphorn Praphornkul
National News Bureau & Public Relations


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