Thailand to import workers under G-to-G deals

BANGKOK, October 12 (TNA) - Thailand plans to import migrant workers under government-to-government (G-to-G) deals, beginning with those from neighbouring Myanmar. Pravit Khiengpol , Director-General of the Ministry of Labour's Department of Employment, told journalists on Thursday that the G-to-G labor import will be airborne to save time and money, including the sums which will, otherwise, be paid to ethnic groups along border areas, and that the number of imported workers will be based on demand from the local private sector. Meanwhile, the National Fisheries Association of Thailand has sought an official permission to import about 50,000 foreign workers and the Thai government's committee on foreigners’ work has approved in principle its import of workers from Bangladesh and has ordered the association to work out regulations and details related to the employment of foreign workers, including the number of fishing boats and workers and employment contracts, and to draft measures to prevent foreign workers from leaving the Thai fishing industry for other kinds of jobs. The committee will then consider the details and if it approves them, it will propose the details to the Thai Cabinet for further consideration. Thai Labour Minister Padermchai Sasomsap acknowledged that to prevent human trafficking, the import of workers for the Thai fishing industry will be the sole responsibility of the National Fisheries Association of Thailand and local employers are required to have standard and annual employment contracts for the migrant workers. In addition, when the foreign workers are go to work offshore aboard fishing boats, there must be reports on the information on the fishing boats, employers and the number of workers aboard and every foreign worker must carry a seaman book. (TNA)