By: Suntaree Saeng-ging, Regional Coordinator of HomeNet South East Asia
On August 13, 2024, leaders from HomeNet Thailand, along with the Federation of Informal Workers—comprising domestic workers, market vendors, and motorcycle taxi drivers—met with the Social Security Scheme Boards, which are the first boards elected directly by insured workers. They urged the development of benefits, services, and management for the Voluntary Social Security Scheme, which currently insures over 10 million workers in the formal economy.
Our key calls are focused on the following points:
- Expanding maternity protection benefits to cover women workers in the informal economy and extending unemployment benefits to all informal workers.
- Establishing a revolving fund for the livelihood development of informal workers.
- Recognizing that domestic workers have employers and should be included in the compulsory social security scheme, with contribution fees covered by their employers.
- In the long term, developing the social security scheme into a universal system that provides equal benefits for all workers, without differences or inequality.
