Labour Minister Visits PIPO Command Center in Samut Sakhon to Reiterate Enforcement of Laws , Revise ‘Inspector Training’ Syllabus and Increase Inspector Officers

The Labour Minister visited the Port In –  Port Out (PIPO) Command Center reiterating to all sectors to excel in illegal fishing inspections, human trafficking, enforcement of regulations and to prosecute employers in violation of laws. The Labour Minister further revealed his satisfaction in officers’ achievements and preparedness to revise the syllabus on ‘training fishing vessel inspectors’, as well as increasing the number of inspecting officers.

Labour Minister General Sirichai Distakul visited the Port In – Port Out (PIPO) Command Center in Samut Sakhon at the provincial Fisheries Office, along with organizations and workers in the fishing industry in Samut Sakhon province. In his speech, he said that in the morning (29 October 2015), he had consulted with Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, who had emphasized illegal fishing and human trafficking, assigning he government sector to take serious and strict action, with no leniency in any case. He said that fishing vessel operators would need to adjust accordingly to ensure compliance to regulations. The Ministry of Labour has assigned more inspection officers and exceled revisions to training for inspectors, using only 1-2 days for training prior to fulfilling duties. 

            The Labour Minister further stated that the meeting to present policies to chiefs of units affiliated to the Ministry of Labour and upon inspections of the Port In – Port Out (PIPO) Command Center, he found that operations had gone smoothly with assigned officers at the centers having the ability to control vessels departing the docks better. The Labour Minister also reiterated strict compliance for installing equipment in fishing vessels or VMS, and more thorough inspection. In addition to this, the Labour Minister emphasized the issue of illegal fishing and human trafficking which has been set as the national agenda, and thus said that all officers would need to give importance and monitor the issue. More importantly, he said that if any government officers or officials were to be found involved in human trafficking cases, there would be severe consequences.  

            “Visiting the center allowed me to see how smooth the operations are, the center’s ability to control incoming and outgoing fishing vessels, and understanding of different measures such as the installation of a VMS system or fishing vessel inspections during fishing operations, which the center has been able to manage. Nevertheless, the success of the Port In – Port Out (PIPO) Command Center including organizations and workers in the fishing industry has happened through cooperation of all relevant parties,” said the Labour Minister.

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Bureau of Public Relations

Wichulada Buachai – News

Sompob Silbut – Photos

29 October 2015