With reduced unemployment, and improvement in education

The Institute for Population and Social Research (IPSR), Mahidol University, together with Thai Heath Promotion Foundation and the National Health Commission Office of Thailand, revealed in their ThaiHealth Report to commemorate Labour Day that the quality of Thai labour force has a tendency to get better with less unemployment, improvement in education, and higher incomes, but with increase in debts, accidents, AIDS, cancer, claiming the highest mortality rate. The mind boggles to think that one in ten of Thai labour force wanted to commit suicide due to low quality of life. Two in three labourers in the informal sector lacked social welfare, worked arduously and had a high risk of falling ill.

Associate Professor Dr. Churnrurtai Kanchanachitra, who is the Vice President for Collaboration and Networking, Mahidol University, and is also a regular lecturer of the Institute for Population and Social Research disclosed that the institute together with the Thai Heath Promotion Foundation, and National Health Commission have published the 2010 ThaiHealth Report, entitled “Capitalism in Crisis: Opportunity for Society”, for Labour Day which falls on the first of May every year. For the occasion, twelve health indices of Thai workers have been set up, covering, for example physical and mental health, quality of life, finance, health safety. Data from the National Statistical Office showed that at present there are more than 42.6 million employees, or 67.4% of the overall population. Most of them, 38%, are in the private sector, 32% are self-employed, 18% are in family businesses, 9% are government employees, and 3% are employers. Most labourers, 32%, are from the north eastern region, 25% are from the central region, with 11% working in Bangkok.

Dr. Churnrurtai informed that quality of life of Thai labour force has a tendency to get better. The rate of unemployment has been reduced to 2% of the overall workforce. The labour education at secondary level has increased from 10% in 1999 to 16% in 2009, resulting in increases in incomes. The average monthly income is 21,139 baht per house whole, but with a total debt of 133,328 baht per house whole. The more income they earn, the more debt they have to pay. Labourers in electricity, gas, and water departments earn the highest average income of about 60,875 baht monthly. Those working in finance, insurance, and pension sectors, have a monthly average income of 57,936 baht, while in the agricultural sector the average monthly wage is 14,653 baht.

She pointed out that a health survey of two age groups shows that the causes of illness in the 15-29 year old group are, accident, mental sickness, and AIDS. In the 30-59 age old group, it has been found that although illness caused by accidents and mental problems among men has been reduced almost by half, but with an increase in cancer. Most female workers are prone to cardio-vascular diseases. With regard to diseases caused by occupations, it was found that 80% of the illness has been caused by insecticides, 8% by petrol-chemicals, 6% due to pulmonary diseases, 3% by gas and chemical vapour. Arsenic, manganese, cadmium, and mercury have been accounted for 2% of the illness, with 1% caused by lead.

“The problem plaguing the health of Thai labour force of both male and female of all age groups is AIDS with more and more increase in mental problems The ABEC poll shows that 1 in 10 workers has contemplated suicide owing to poor quality of life. General workers tend to have poor mental health than other types of labourer, because of lack of security, while state enterprise employees have the best mental health” said she.

Mrs. Banjamaporn Chantharapat, Director of Health Promotion through Health Service Systems Plan, Thai Health Promotion Foundation, stated that at present two in three in the Thai labour force are in the Informal Sector, working in agricultural, fishery, service, and handicraft sections. They are not protected by law, and without any health or income protection. The survey in 2008 of National Bureau of Statistics, found that 174 in 1000 workers had a high rate of work injury, about 1.64 times higher than that of the formal sector. Two in five of workers in the informal sector were obliged to work more than 50 hours a week, resulting in negative impact on health. More workers in the informal sector had to toil in unsafe environments. Therefore the government must solve these problems speedily and provide assistance and social security to ameliorate their quality of life.

Source: Thai Health Promotion Foundation