Thailand, ILO to cooperate in tackling human trafficking
By Digital Content

BANGKOK, July 2 -- The Thai Ministry of Labour is trying to resolve human trafficking in Thailand in cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Jirasuk Sugandhajati, Thailand's permanent secretary for labour, discussed the implementation of good labour practices (GLPs) in the Thai shrimp and seafood production sectors with Maurizio Bussi, director of ILO Decent Work Technical Support Teams for East and South-East Asia and the Pacific.

Good Labour Practices form an important labour standard covering overall employment so that there is no use of forced or child labour, no discrimination, safe working conditions, and welfare and rights are provided in compliance with labour protection, labour relations and anti-human trafficking laws.

Sumet Mahosot, the new director-general of the Department of Employment, said there were more concrete policies to protect alien workers to convince the United States and other countries that Thailand was seriously tackling labour problems.

The department will operate its hotline number 1694 to answer questions from alien workers in the Burmese, Cambodian and English languages. It will not deploy a Lao interpreter on the understanding that Thai and Lao people can communicate well.

The hotline operates from 6am to 9am and from 4pm to 8pm so that alien workers can contact it before and after work. Later the hotline will extend its daily service hours, Mr Sumet said. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2014-07-02

A hotline. oooooooooh, fantastic.

Joking aside, at least this appears to be a small attempt to start admitting there may be some sort of an issue. As an aside, did he just admit that Laos and Thai languages share a lot of commonality? Is that a first for a Thai civil servant?

I wish them luck and tackling this terrible problem.

Must be a difficult task calling a hotline when you're strung between a few boats.

Every slave gets a free phone call before walking the plank.

This is good news....I'm sure the military appreciate the seriosness of this issue.....and they need help..so the ILO is a good start.....

Window dressing?

'Sumet Mahosot, the new director-general of the Department of Employment, said there were more concrete policies to protect alien workers to convince the United States and other countries that Thailand was seriously tackling labour problems.'

But what are the concrete policies?

Its not the US (sounds like the mantle is being taken away from the Shin Family), its the need to protect the people on the ground that may have evidence, working in the areas, and policing the policies? What are the rights of abused people?

They need to educate people out there what rights they have, as this is one aspect in this trade that suppresses people by the people doing the trafficking.

Throws up more questions than answers?

Its a press release for 15 seconds of fame.

Crap. No change. Same-same.

Slaves are welcome here.

When you start arresting the kingpins then I will believe it, They know who they are the guy that pays off the officials. Or the payoff just got higher.