Closed borders worsen labour dearth

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From Bangkok Post

A labour shortage, particularly in manpower-intensive industries such as agribusiness and food processing, is likely to intensify over the long term as the pandemic makes it difficult for foreign labour to move across borders.

Poj Aramwattananont, president of the Labour and Skill Development Committee and vice-chairman of the Thai Board of Trade, said the business sector is concerned about a labour shortage in the long term after several hundred thousand foreign workers returned home following the outbreak.

Most workers who returned home have yet to return to Thailand, while new infections are rising in neighbouring countries, leading the government to retain its strict lockdown measures along the borders.

Prior to the outbreak, there were about 3 million foreign workers legally registered. Foreign workers represent up to 50-60% of workers in certain labour-intensive industries such as agribusiness and food.

Thailand also remains short of workers in elderly care and as housekeepers, he said.

Mr Poj said although Thai workers are encouraged to work in the industrial sector, many unemployed Thais are uninterested in working in factories related to food processing, rubber gloves, food and agricultural products.

"The private sector is calling on all parties to come up with measures to stimulate or entice Thai unemployed workers to work in industries such as the agricultural and food industries, which are estimated to need 200,000-300,000 workers," he said.

"In the first quarter of next year, the picture will become clearer of how many Thai workers will be left unemployed," said Mr Poj. "Worrisome sectors include hotels and tourism."

In the longer term, with Thailand having to forge free trade agreements both on the bilateral and multilateral basis, such as Thai-EU FTA, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, these all require higher standards for labour protection and labour rights, he said.