Thai Labour Ministry seriously prevents human trafficking

BANGKOK, February 27 (TNA) - In its attempts to prevent human trafficking-related problems in the Thai fishing industry, the Ministry of Labour has joined hands with the Royal Thai Navy and labour officials in 22 coastal provinces in strictly implementing preventive measures, including inspecting trawler operators to seriously intercept illegal labour forces. Thai Labour Minister General Surasak Kanchanarat on Friday held a meeting with senior officials of his ministry’s Department of Labour Protection and Welfare and labour officials stationing in 22 coastal provinces to discuss the preventive measures. General Surasak stressed on the strict enforcement of a new law, which provides protection to workers in the local fishing industry and has been enforced since December 30, 2014, under which employers and trawler owners must hire workers aged above 18, have a working contract, offer reasonable wages and bring their workers to report to labour officials at least once a year. According to a latest official report issued on February 26, Labour Ministry officials had inspected 184 local fishery offices employing 4,340 workers in 22 coastal Thai provinces, seven of them had violated the law on payment to employees and on the list of the number of employees. The official report also indicated that Labour Ministry officials had also inspected 601 local fishing trawlers having 351 employers and 4,244 employees and found that 23 trawlers in nine coastal provinces had violated the law by hiring five workers aged below 18, employing seven illegal migrant workers and having unsafe working conditions and lawsuits had already been imposed against the violators. (TNA)