The Ministry of Labour led the International Labour Organization’s Director-General Mr. Guy Ryder on a visit to the Port In-Port Out (PIPO) Control Center in Samut Sakhon, to study businesses in the seafood export industry, that operates production based on good governance and labour standards consistent with international standards.
Today (July 23, 2019) at the Area 1 Port In-Port Out (PIPO) Control Center in Samut Sakhon, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Labour Mr. Suradej Waleeittikul led ILO Director-General Mr. Guy Ryder and committee on a visit to the PIPO center, whereby Deputy Governor of Samut Sakhon Mr. Phiriya Chantadilok and navy representatives gave a welcome. The visiting committee listened to a briefing on the history of the Center for Illegal Fishing (MRP) and the PIPO Control Center’s mission, operations of the center including listening to the fishing situation in Samut Sakhon. This center’s mission is to inspect the entry-exit of commercial fishing boats sizing 30 gross tonnes and over and below 30 tonnes in the 3 types of tools including trawls, nets and anchovy nets, by focusing on vessels at risk that have been notified from the center. As for the operations of the center, it includes the inspection of the ship’s documents in the arrival and departure, inspection of the ship and the ship’s crew at the dock, recording information into the Fishing Information (FI) system and allowing fishing or return to dock and take up aquatic animals. It focuses on labour protection to prevent forced labour and human trafficking. At present, there are 30 PIPO centers nationwide. For the fishing situation in Samut Sakhon, it was found that 384 fishing boats were recorded for entry-exit. There were 5,472 fishermen who were all in the system with no illegal labour, and the people understood the government’s policy to solve problems, by providing good cooperation so that the fishing situation is likely to improve.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary of Labour and Mr. Guy Ryder’s party visited Unicord PCL, which is an establishment that produces and exports animal products such as canned and frozen tuna. At present, there are 8,678 employees, 2,672 men and 5,706 women; from the workers, 1,667 are Thai and 7,011 are Burmese. The company has received many certification standards, including Thai Labour Standards (TLS) at the foundation level in 2017 to 2019, and has adopted the Good Labour Practices (GLP) to be accepted in labour management. It is also has also been awarded as an outstanding establishment in labour relations and national labour welfare for 4 years.
Mr. Guy Ryder’s visit to Samut Sakhon area was a visit to see the progress and concrete achievements that represent the commitment of the Thai government to eliminate the use of child labour and forced labor in the seafood industry and supply chain in the fishing sector, including protection of fishing workers and good labour practices that can ensure products in Thailand’s seafood industry are produced with good governance and labour standards which are consistent with international standards, which will create sustainable economic growth throughout the supply chain.
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Division of Public Relations/News by Chaninthorn Phettab/Photos by Sompob Silbut/23 July 2019
