Myanmar, Thailand to sign labour agreements

BANGKOK, June 22 (TNA) - Myanmar and Thailand will sign two memoranda of understanding (MOUs) on labour cooperation and employment during Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi's official visit to Thailand during June 23-25. Permanent Secretary for Labour ML Puntrik Smiti told journalists on Wednesday that the signing between the Myanmar and the Thai labour ministers will take place at Bangkok's Government House on June 24. ML Puntrik said that the MOU on labour cooperation will focus on academic work, skill development, coordination and the exchange of officials. ML Puntrik revealed that the other MOU on employment processes, the import of Myanmar workers and employment contracts, will allow each employment contract to be valid for two years and renewable for another two years and after the four-year period, Myanmar workers must go to their homeland and stay there for 30 days before returning to Thailand. For the labour import, the senior official explained that Myanmar migrant workers must be trained on working conditions, labour protection and dispute resolution before entering Thailand. According to the senior official, the two MOUs should lead to Myanmar's revised labour regulations and facilitate problem solutions. "About 1.4 million Myanmar migrant workers have work permits in Thailand and the Thai Labour Ministry hopes the MOUs should govern the import of all Myanmar workers so that they would be protected from overcharged fees, abuse and forced labour, as well as human trafficking networks. (TNA)