Govt to get women's 6-point plan

Female workers will submit a six-point proposal on women's labour development to the government for consideration today, to mark International Women's Day.

Wanpen Premkaew, president of the Women's Integration Group, said female representatives of many labour union congresses had agreed that women workers will stage a demonstration on Ratchadamnoen Avenue.

They will forward a proposal on female labour protection to Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai at Government House for consideration.

The participants will include female workers from many labour unions of the textile, garment, leatherware, petrochemical and steel industries, the State Enterprise Relations Confederation, and industrial factories in Om Noi, Om Yai, Suksawat, Phra Pradaeng and Ratchaburana.

In the proposal, the government will be urged to:

- set up a committee to prevent layoffs of workers, especially female labour, without reason and to protect the rights of female workers;

- extend the Social Security Fund to cover employees in case of unemployment and after their retirement, and cover employees' underage children;

- suspend its plan to sell state enterprises, especially those concerning public utilities, to the private sector;

- review its policy to raise oil taxes and turn to the collection of inheritance taxes and examination and seizure of assets of unusually rich politicians, business people and officials instead;

- increase the minimum wage to offset the higher cost of living due to inflation;

- step up measures to protect child and female labour; and

- push for the establishment of child care centres in many communities and workplaces with at least 300 employees.

According to Mrs Wanpen, female workers, especially those at workplaces without labour unions, are often taken advantage of by employers and male employees in terms of wages and promotions.