Measures to ease labor shortage in fishery industry

BANGKOK, Sept 1 (TNA) - Thailand is taking measures to ease labor shortage in its fishery industry including offering employment for 42,000 Myanmar workers under an MoU agreement. It is one of the measures approved by the Committee on Foreign Workers and Human Trafficking Resolution Policies during a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan on Friday. The Committee considered solutions for labor shortage in the Thai fishing industry and gave a green light to the plan to employ 42,000 Myanmar migrant workers who will arrive within November this year. Under the MoU, the workers will have to register for their labor rights in accordance with the laws at a labor office in Ranong province. About 1.2 million Myanmar workers have already lived and worked Thailand, according to official figure. The Committee also approved a Ministry of Labor’s proposal to allow 11,000 migrant workers to renew their work permits which expire between August 20 and September 30 in the hope to ease the labor shortage in the fisheries in the short run. Those workers can renew their work permits at one-stop service centers in 22 coastal provinces until September 30. In addition, Thailand will impose another measure opening up job applications for any migrant workers to enter fishery workforce. Those who carry valid passport and identification document can apply for a one-year work permit. (TNA)