Panel discussion

Good Labour Practices: What’s next for the Thai fishing and seafood industry?

Within the context of the EU-funded ILO Ship to Shore Rights Project, suppliers, buyers, government, and workers' organizations will discuss the latest changes in the Thai fishing and seafood industry. Joint event organized by the ILO Thai Ministry of Labour and the Delegation of the European Union to Thailand.*

The event will highlight the new Good Labour Practice programme which calls for commitments from partners for the creation of an independent Good Labour Practice body to help drive improvements for workers and rebuild the reputation and competitiveness of the Thai fishing and seafood industry.

*Free admission, Thai and English translation services will be provided.

Programme& participants

8.30 Registration (Tea/coffee)
9.00 Introductory remarks by Mr. Maurizio Bussi, Director, ILO Country Office
for Thailand, Cambodia and Lao PDR

9.10 Opening Remarks on Pledging joint commitment to Good Labour Practices Principles

H.E. General Sirichai Distakul, Minister of Labour
Ambassador & Head of EU Delegation

Followed by signing the GLP Commitment Board and joint photo

9.40 View from the pier: How is work changing in the Thai and Seafood industry?

Mr. Wicharn Sirichai-Ekawat, Honorary Advisor, National Fisheries Association of Thailand (NFAT)
Ms. Nattaya Petcharat, Stella Maris Seafarer’s Center, Songkhla
Mr. Lay Srun, Migrant Volunteer and Former Fishery Worker
Captain Dorne Tipant, Command Center for Combatting Illegal Fishing (CCCIF)

10.30 Coffee Break

10.45 High-level Panel Discussion: What comes next for the Thai fishing and seafood industry?

Mr. Kittipong Laonnipon, Inspector-General, Department of Labour Protection and Welfare
Mr. Darrell Doren, Senior Director Sustainability at Foreign Trade Association (FTA/BSCI)
Dr. Pongthiti Pongsilamanee, Deputy Secretary-General, State Enterprises Relations’ Confederation (SERC) Foundation
Dr. Darian McBain, Global Director of Sustainability for Thai Union
Dr. Chanintr Chalisarapong, Chairman, Thai Tuna Industry Association (TTIA)

12.00 – 12.15 Good Labour Practice programme participants to sign a Commitment Board

Background on ILO Ship to Shore Rights Project

The Project draws on the Good Labour Practices (GLP) programme through collaborative efforts between Department of Labour Protection and Welfare (DLPW), Department of Fisheries (DOF) and industry members—as well as worker organizations, Thai civil society, and global buyers—with technical support by ILO on capacity-building and training programmes. In moving forward with the next phase of the GLP programme, the project aims to update GLP standards and principles given changes to Thai labour laws and in the global seafood industry. It is important to bring together key partners to discuss their concerns and needs, capacity-building gaps, and the challenges in compliance to the GLP principles.

Five separate consultations, including a tri-partite meeting of Task Force 2, for stakeholders to join frank discussions on proposed changes to GLP was held in late November/early December 2016. Following which, the report of the revised GLP programme was presented to the Taskforce No. 2 on 20 April 2017 and the meeting in principle agreed to the establishment of the independent GLP body. The meeting requested for ILO to further elaborate on the specific details on the composition and financial membership and discussion at the next Project Steering Committee on 4th May 2017.