Initiative aims to employ 10,000 disabled
TO BOOST the employment of physically challenged people this year, six professional organisations and 200 private companies are joining together to hire disabled people in 10,000 positions.
Labour Minister General Sirichai Distakul and Social Development and Human Security Minister Pol General Adul Saengsingkaew presided over the launch of the project at the Stock Exchange last week, hailing the move to remedy social inequality and create economic value worth Bt1 billion.
The project is organised by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), the Social Innovation Foundation (SIF) and 20 associated organisations. Sirichai said his office would push for the creation of 10,000 jobs for disabled people in line with the government policy emphasising everyone’s participation to promote vocational opportunities for physically challenged people.
He said Article 33 of the employment law stipulates that businesses could hire disabled people for jobs in the company and as a social service. Article 35 allows companies to hire disabled people as freelancers.
Adul said a coordinated effort to hire 10,000 disabled people could create an economic value of about Bt1 billion while also helping to promote their quality of life and narrow social inequalities.
He said the law required businesses to hire one disabled person per 100 employees, which meant 55,283 disabled people should be employed.
Currently only 62 per cent of that number, or 34,383 people, have jobs.
Adul said eligible establishments that did not hire disabled employees had to pay Bt109,500 per head per year to the Fund for the Empowerment of People with Disabilities.
ThaiHealth manager Supreeda Adulyanon said his agency supported the SIF plan to boost the quality of life for disabled people, with 1,277 having secured jobs at 88 private companies this year.
Supreeda said promoting job opportunities including in the social service and volunteer sectors, enabled people to have good jobs with income, integrity and independence, It also gave participating companies satisfaction by helping them be socially responsible.
He said ThaiHealth also promoted the employment of disabled people through the Redemptorist Foundation for People with Disabilities (RFPD)’s Human Station Project, which trains musicians and masseuses.
SIF executive committee chairman Apichat Karunkornsakul said they were coordinating with employers in various organisations such as the RFPD, the Lampang Eye Foundation and the Don’t Drive Drunk Foundation as well as the two ministries, as well as the two d ministries, has led to people being more ready to hire more disabled people. That ethic is reflected in its motto “Tham Dai, Tham Ngai, Mai Tong Ror”, or “Can Do, Easy to Do, No Need to Wait”, he said.
The project has been joined by six professional groups – the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Thai Industries, Thai Bankers’ Association, Thai Retailers Association, Stock Exchange of Thailand and Thai Listed Companies Association, as well as 200 companies, Apichat said. He said the project aimed to fill 3,000 positions based on the recent event alone, which has greatly contributed to the goal of filling 10,000 positions by year’s end.
