On December 14, 2021, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin assigned the Labour Minister’s Advisor, Mrs. Thiwalrat Angkinan, presided over the release of integrated officers to inspect employment conditions, working conditions, and human trafficking in marine fishing boats at the port of the Ban Laem Fisheries Cooperative, Ban Laem District, Phetchaburi Province. The Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson (on politics), Mrs. Theanrat Nawamawat, Head of the Phetchaburi Provincial Office Mr. Ongkharak Thongniramon, officials under the Ministry of Labour’s agencies in Phetchaburi and representatives of relevant agencies also joined the occasion.
Mrs. Thiwalrat said that Phetchaburi Province realizes the importance of solving the problem of illegal fishing where child labour is used in bad forms, where there is debt bondage and forced labour, which has led to the issue of human trafficking. Therefore, the integration between agencies in protecting labour in marine fisheries is important to prevent and suppress human trafficking in marine fisheries and related businesses. The working group’s mission is to integrate cooperation in inspecting employment conditions, working conditions, and human trafficking in fishing boats in Phetchaburi Province. There is a plan to carry out checks once a month. This time is the first inspection of the 2022 fiscal year. This inspection aims to cover 50 employees on fishing boats from the target of 190 people for the year. It is a mission of inspection according to the powers and duties of each relevant agency to achieve results in the prevention and suppression of trafficking in persons within Phetchaburi Province. Therefore, everyone is requested to work together to inspect the employment conditions, working conditions, human trafficking, and the prevention of drug use in fishing boats to achieve the goals.
Mrs. Thiwalrat said that today, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin assigned her to go to the area to release officers in the integrated activity to check employment conditions, working conditions, and human trafficking in marine fishing boats. The activity follows government policy under Prime Minister and Minister of Defense General Prayuth Chan-ocha and Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, who oversees the Ministry of Labour, which aims to slow down and stop the spread of COVID-19 among illegal migrant workers. The Ministry of Labour has taken various measures to manage the work of migrant workers by enforcing laws on migrant workers, employers, and establishments that employ migrant workers to work without permission. This is an important mission where the officers inspect migrant workers and are from an integration between the Ministry of Labour, the Marine Department, the Department of Fisheries, the Administrative Department, and the Security Department.
The inspection of activities in marine fishing boats is in 22 coastal provinces. The objective is to solve the problem of human trafficking and the worst forms of child labour to ensure they are managed systematically. The efforts aim to provide clear measures and continuous operations to protect workers in fishing boats at sea from human trafficking, ensure they receive benefits under labour protection laws, and prevent child labour on marine fishing boats.
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Division of Public Relations
14 December 2021
