The Labour Minister instructed agencies under the Ministry of Labour in integration with relevant NGOs to monitor progress and support the rights and benefits of Thai fishing workers returning from Somalia successfully.
On January 28, 2020, Labour Minister M.R. Chatumongol Sonakul spoke about the progress of helping to monitor the benefits for Thai fishermen returning from Somalia, from the case of 32 Thai fishermen who were adrift while fishing in Somalia and received assistance to return to Thailand in August 2019. The transfer was a cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Labour. The whole crew requested the Ministry of Labour to track unpaid wages from Iranian and Somali employers as they had traveled to work in Iranian waters before traveling to work in fishing in Somali waters, and then they became cast away.
M.R. Chatumongol further said that the Ministry of Labour’s Bureau of International Cooperation, the Department of Labour at the Royal Thai Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare, the Department of Employment and NGOs, consisting of the S R Law Office, the Stella Maris Center and the Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF), joined together to find ways to help the fishing workers. They visited the domicile of the workers in Surin and Buri Ram investigate the facts and collect evidence of employment. The investigations found that foreign employers of both nationalities had Thai representatives to contact the workers, including gathering people to go to work, taking care of travel arrangement, payroll, the distribution of benefits from the sale of fish and others, including the signing of certain employment contracts on behalf of the employer. Information from the Labour Office in Abu Dhabi said that both Iranian and Somali employers confirmed the payment of wages was made through the Thai representative, and no payments were owed.
From examining the evidence collected from the group of fishing workers, the employer’s Thai representative, has been charged on two counts. The first charge was on the recruitment of workers abroad without permission in accordance with The Employment and Job Seeker Protection Act B.E. 2528 (1985) and amendments; the second charge was on the 26 fishing crew members (who signed the petition) totaling 6.5 million Baht. The lawsuit was filed by the Central Labour Court. On January 24, the 3 additional members signed the petition, from the same group of Thai fishing workers, totaling 29 crew members. The Ministry of Labour and the NGOs mentioned above will coordinate closely to find ways to support the benefits of all Thai fishing workers.
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Division of Public Relations/
News by Chaninthorn Phettab/
Information & photos by Bureau of International Cooperation/
28 January 2020
