Thai Unions to promote decent work for persons with disabilities

(ILO, Bangkok) The push for greater recognition in the workplace of the rights of people with disabilities has received a boost from Thai trade unions.

Facilitated by the ILO, representatives of worker organizations met to discuss the role of trade unions in promoting the rights, employability and employment of women and men with disabilities at a workshop in Bangkok, 4-5 March. Following the meeting, it was agreed that a further consultation of people with disabilities would be conducted by worker organizations before approaching the authorities to advocate on their behalf.

Trade unions can help disabled workers in two main ways. First they can help recruit, organize and integrate persons with disabilities into the movement, by making it clear that each individual is as important as any other member, with as much right to have his or her voice heard. Secondly the unions can campaign and negotiate on behalf of persons with disabilities to ensure that employers not only comply with legislation but also take positive steps to offer equal opportunities and full job satisfaction for staff with disabilities. “Everything that relates to workers, interest us. We need to mobilize, organize, and represent workers with disabilities”, a representative of SERC voiced.

The Labour Congress of Thailand (LCT, Thai Trade Union Congress (TTUC), State Enterprises Workers’ Relations Confederation (SERC) and National Congress Private Industrial of Employees (NCPE) have been working with the International Labour Organization (ILO) in a process of inclusion of persons with disabilities in their movements and programmes in the spirit of promoting the right to decent work for all.

Most people with disabilities are able to work and want to work. Yet, the large majority of people with disabilities are less likely to be employed as compared to their non-disabled peers because of barriers in finding and retaining jobs. These barriers include unequal access to training and education, different forms of discrimination and physical and social barriers. In applying for jobs, barriers may include unnecessary or unfair job requirements or stereotypical negative perceptions of their abilities. On the job, disabled workers may have a more difficult time receiving fair treatment. They may lack a formal employment contract or fail to receive comparable wages and benefits. They may be the first to lose their jobs in the event of lay-offs.

Because of their commitment to equity, solidarity and social justice, trade unions are in a unique position to promote equal opportunities for and equal treatment of disabled workers. However, this opportunity to represent a large and often unfairly treated segment of the workforce is frequently unrealized. This activity is an initial step towards representing disabled workers and addressing many of the work-related problems they face.

The workshop is part of the ILO’s initiative aimed at promoting the employability and employment of women and men with disabilities (PEPDEL) supported by Irish Aid.

For more information please contact:

Emanuela Pozzan, Coordinator on Disability, ILO Subregional Office for East Asia
Tel. 02 288 1724, Email

Krisdaporn Singhaseni, Information Officer, ILO
Tel. 02 288 1664, Email