EU satisfies with Thailand's effort to solve IUU problems

BANGKOK, Dec 16 (TNA) -- Labour Ministry said the European Union (EU) has expressed its satisfaction on Thailand's efforts to solve the problems of Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, as well as on labour. Labour Ministry inspector, in his capacity as the ministry's spokesman, Ananchai Uthaipattanachep said the meeting between Thailand and EU in Belgium's capital Brussels back in November has given the ministry the chance to present its operations carried out according to a plan worked out at the previous unofficial talks with the EU representatives for Thailand to efficiently solve labour and IUU-related problems in five aspects. The meeting was also attended by director-general of the Department of Employment. During the meeting, the spokesman said, the EU representatives had expressed their satisfactions on Thailand's move to expedite the initiation of three agreements with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which included protection for fisheries labours, forced labours, freedom on association and negotiations, as well as the establishments of help centres for migrant workers. The EU has said that once set up, the Thai government should also publicise about the aid centres to migrant labours in an easy to understand language. Although the EU has given its approval to the Thai government's hard work, it has further suggested that Thailand increase the number of labour inspector as the ratio between the officials and migrant labours does not correlate. (TNA)