Union Minister for the Labour, Immigration and Population organized a videoconference on legal work permits for Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand yesterday.

Union Minister U Thein Swe, Deputy Minister U MyintKyaing, the Permanent Secretary, the Labour Attaché to Thailand, officials from the ministry and the representatives from Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Federation attended the online meeting.

At the meeting, the Union Minister said he had received a proposal to open an employment registration centre at the Mae Sot-Myawaddy border for the Myanmar workers have signed the contract with Thai employers and received work permits.

Under the plan, Myanmar migrant workers will not need to come back home again for registration.
In that regard, the ministry is coordinating with the Thai government agencies to reduce costs and not to lose the job opportunities for Myanmar workers, and the Myanmar embassy in Thailand and the Labour Attaché are in consultation with the relevant department officials.

He continued that the relevant departments in both countries, employment agencies and workers need to coordinate depending on the changing situation due to the current COVID-19 crisis, and it takes getting the right information to do so; that it is necessary to plan and cooperate between the Ministry, the relevant Myanmar Embassy, Labour Attaché, employers and workers, licenced overseas employment agencies and Thai agencies in order to implement effective processes.

He remarked that the employment agencies should be aware of the procedures, restriction and requirements set by the Thai Government and inform workers, to prepare statistics and information in advance and, furthermore, it is necessary to work closely with Thai employers and agencies.

Afterwards, the chairperson and the responsible persons from the overseas employment agencies presented in detail the process to get the legal permission to continue working for Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand, to send the Myanmar workers who have signed the employment contract with the employers as soon as possible under the MOU system, and the MOU at the border crossing for the return of former workers who have signed the employment contract and worked in Thailand.

The Myanmar labour attaché in Thailand discussed the legal permission for former Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand under the MoU, the coordination between officials from the Ministry of Labour in Thailand.—MNA

(Translated by Ei Phyu Phyu Aung)