Covenant. It also recommends that the State party take further steps to eliminate the persistent wage gap between women and men. Trade union rights The Committee is concerned that educational personnel of private and public universities, workers in public organizations and nonThai nationals do not have the right to form trade unions (art. 8). The Committee urges the State party to ensure that all employees, in both the private and public sectors, effectively enjoy the right to freely form and join trade unions and to extend the right to non-nationals. Given the large number of migrant workers in the State party, the Committee emphasizes the importance of recognizing their right to form and join trade unions to represent their interests with a view to improving the enjoyment of their economic, social and cultural rights. Right to strike The Committee is concerned that under the State Enterprise Labour Relations Act not all public sector employees enjoy the right to strike (art. 8). The Committee recommends that the State party ensure that public sector employees who do not provide essential services are entitled to their right to strike in line with the Covenant and relevant ILO standards. The Committee invites the State party to ratify the ILO Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87). Economic and sexual exploitation of children The Committee is concerned that, despite measures taken, child labour is still widespread, including in agriculture, fishing and the informal economy, and that many children continue to be exploited in the child sex tourism industry (art. 10). The Committee recommends that the State party increase its efforts to: Effectively enforce legislation that prohibits child labour and hold accountable those responsible for non-compliance with this legislation and reinforce the labour inspection system to monitor and detect child labour; Intensify economic and social support measures for poor, disadvantaged and marginalized families; Combat child sex tourism, including by establishing and implementing a comprehensive regulatory framework and strengthening international cooperation and advocacy with the tourism industry on the harmful effects of child sex tourism. Trafficking in persons While noting the measures taken to combat trafficking in persons, the Committee is concerned at the persistence of trafficking in persons, including women and children, for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labour in the State party. The Committee is particularly concerned at the limited identification of victims of trafficking by law enforcement officers (art. 10). The Committee recommends that the State party intensify its efforts to prevent and combat trafficking in persons, including women and children, for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labour, inter alia, by ensuring adequate training of law enforcement officers and the judiciary, with a view to improving early identification of victims . In this regard, the Committee calls on the State party to fully implement the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, contained in the report on her mission to Thailand (A/HRC/20/18/Add.2). Housing and standard of living The Committee is concerned at reports that 10 per cent of families in urban areas live in informal settlements, are vulnerable to forced evictions and encounter major problems in accessing basic services. The Committee is also concerned that, although poverty has experienced a continuous decline, an estimated 10.94 per cent of the total population live in poverty, a situation that particularly affects children, older persons and persons living in rural areas (art. 11). The Committee, taking into account its general comments No. 4 (1991) on the right to adequate housing and No. 7 (1997) on the right to adequate housing: forced evictions, recommends that the State party increase its efforts to overcome the housing shortage and ensure that persons living in informal settlements are protected against forced evictions and enjoy access to basic services, such as water and sanitation. It also recommends that the State party take all the measures necessary to further reduce poverty, paying special attention to disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups, including children, older persons and people living in rural areas. The Committee draws the State party’s attention to its statement on poverty and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (2001). Living conditions in detention centres The Committee expresses concern at the substandard living conditions and excessive overcrowding in detention centres, including immigration detention centres. It is particularly concerned at reports that asylum seekers, refugees and migrants suffer from