Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin and his delegation attended the Labour Cooperation Agreement signing ceremony with H.E. Eng. Ahmad Sulaiman ALRajhi, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development of Saudi Arabia. Assistant to the Labour Minister Mr. Surachai Chaitrakulthong, the Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson (on politics), Mrs. Theanrat Nawamawat, Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Boonchob Suttamanaswong, the Department of Employment’s Director-General, Mr. Pairoj Chotiksetian, and Charge d’affaires in Riyadh, Mr. Sathon Kasemsan Na Ayudhya, also attended this event at the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. Mr. Suchart said that from discussions between the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development of Saudi Arabia During during Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha’s official visit to Saudi Arabia on January 25-26, it was established that Saudi Arabia needs Thai workers to work in Saudi Arabia. The Ministry of Labour responded to the Prime Minister’s policy, continuously driving labour cooperation between the two countries to speed up the implementation of concrete movements. It discussed with relevant agencies and formed a labour agreement between the two countries to develop the workforce to meet the needs of Saudi Arabian employers and enterprises. It has also established the recruitment process for workers who wish to travel to work in Saudi Arabia, which ultimately led to the successful formation of two agreements. Today, the Labour Minister and his have traveled to sign the two agreements. The first is the labour recruitment agreement between the Thai Ministry of Labour and the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. The second is an agreement on domestic labour recruitment between the Thai Ministry of Labour and the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

Mr. Suchart explained that the essence of these two labour agreements is establishing the legal recruitment process of the parties, from procurement to repatriation. Priority is given to recruiting workers, managed, or directed by the governments of the contracting parties. If workers are to be recruited through other channels, the agencies must be registered and be ethical. The cost must be strictly controlled, which prohibits deductions from workers’ salaries. Labour protection laws and measures must be strictly enforced. The two countries must work together to expedite the resolution of problems arising from the implementation and enforcement of the provisions of these two agreements.

“The signing of this labour agreement is an important historic step to legally recruit Thai workers to work in Saudi Arabia. It accounts for the international labour obligations of the two countries and cooperation in the fight against human trafficking, protecting the rights of employers and employees, including enforcement of regulations and fair employment contracts. It ensures that workers are paid, have welfare and benefits according to the statutory requirements. This will also enable the Thai workers to travel back to Saudi Arabia again, which will increase job opportunities for Thai workers. It will also help develop Thai worker skills and extend to other collaborations to increase the country’s competitiveness,” concluded Mr. Suchart.

Source: Ministry of Labour