SGMT warns: "Illegal labours are a time bomb for construction industry."
Silver and Gold Management Co., Ltd. (SGMT) urges Thai construction entrepreneurs to fix illegal labour issues before it's too late, emphasizing that legal workers are the key to continuous growth.
Khun Chackraphan Suwannasarn, Chief Executive Officer of Silver and Gold Management Co., Ltd., a leading sourcer and importer of legal foreign labours, commented that since Thailand’s construction business has been growing exponentially in the past several years, many entrepreneurs have suffered from shortages of skilled labours from time to time. Left with no other choice, these contractors turn to hire foreign workers from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, many of whom are illegal immigrants.
“This phenomenon undoubtedly entails a series of problems, such as under-qualified staff, crimes and communicable diseases, not to mention the obvious immigration and legal issues.”
Kasikorn Bank Research Center forecasts that in 2013, construction business in Thailand will grow even further because of 3 main factors. The first one is the government policies that encourage large-scale construction projects such as mass rapid transit system, flood protection system, high-speed train project and etc. The expansion of transportation network will also create many potential locations for property development projects in the future.
The second factor is the investment from private sectors that tends to expand to upcountry areas, especially in retail, modern trade and residential property. According to the Board of Investment (BOI)’s report, the private investment in Northeastern region during January - September 2012 has expanded up to 96.2% comparing to the same period in 2011. Northern and Central regions both enjoy 18.2% increase in private investment, and are expecting a more promising future this year.
The third and final factor is the country’s preparation to become a part of ASEAN Economic Community or AEC in the year 2015. This endeavor clearly boosts the economy in several provinces, especially those sharing borders with neighboring countries.
“In the past, Ministry of Labour tried to solve the issues regarding illegal immigrants by offering to verify their nationality and registering them as legal labours, but this has been respited several times and the problems still persist,” Khun Chackraphan added.
On 26 December 2012, the Cabinet and Foreign Workers Administration Committee agreed to allow foreign labours from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos and their children (who are less than 15 years old) to stay in the country for 120 days, so that their employers can bring them in to verify the nationality and register for temporary passport, allowing them to stay in the country legally and continue working for the same employers. This agreement is valid between 15 December 2012 - 16 March 2013, while foreign labours can stay in the country until 13 April 2013 in order to complete the process. After this, employing unregistered foreign labours will be considered as against the law.
“Considering this fact, having unregistred foreign workers in your workforce might jeopardize your business if you don’t act quickly. It is like having a time bomb that may go off unexpectedly, especially when you are too busy to interview and evaluate each and everyone each of your workers. It would be a shame if your workers are forced to return home and you are accussed for breaking the law, while the business is really booming and aiming high like this. Therefore, I would like to urge all construction entrepreneurs to take action as soon as possible, to guarantee the best opportunity for your business and ensure a full compliance with the laws,” Khun Chackraphan concluded.
Silver and Gold Management Co., Ltd. (SGMT)
3rd Floor, Silver and Gold Building
40/712-716 Soi Navamin 111, Navamin Rd., Beungkum, Bangkok 10230
Tel: 02-509-3961-2 Fax: 02-509-3963
E-mail: [email protected]
“30 years expertise in labour management”
