Thai government urged to reduce high costs of living on Labour Day

BANGKOK, May 1 (TNA) - Workers in Thailand’s southern resort Phuket province called on the government to reduce their high costs of living, marking the National Labour Day and the International Workers’ Day, also known as "May Day", Tuesday. Vichit Dasantan, President of Phuket's Federation of Hotel and Service Labour, led local workers to the Provincial Office of Labour Protection and Welfares to submit a six-point proposal, including the focal demand, to Deputy Phuket Governor Sommai Preechasil, which will then be forwarded to the government. The proposal also calls for the Thai government to strictly ensure fair enforcement of minimum wage and migrant workers control laws, to promote workers’ occupational and language skills to prepare for regional free flows of labour once a single community of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is established over the next three years and to sign International Labour Organization Conventions (ILO) No. 87, concerning freedom of association and protection of rights to organize and ILO Convention No. 98, concerning application of the principles of the rights to organize and to bargain collectively. Furthermore, the proposal demands the government to quickly map out Thailand's tsunami and earthquake preparedness plans. (TNA)