The cabinet has approved a bill on maritime labour which aims to improve working standards for fishing crews.
The crews on fishing boats must receive fair treatment from employers, a deputy government spokesman said yesterday.
Speaking after the cabinet meeting, Maj Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said ministers had agreed to support drafting the bill proposed by the Labour Ministry.
Maj Gen Sansern said the bill would allow fishing crews to receive compensation when they leave work, including travel expenses from their employers when they return home.
An age limit on the crews who can be employed on vessels will apply, as the government moves to stamp out exploitation of child labour. Employers must hire fishing crew who are no younger than 16. Crews who are under 18 are not allowed to do any job that may involve physical harm, he added.
Bosses must also provide a decent living space on the boat for workers and crew. Working hours per day must be limited to ensure crews and workers are not in a state of physical and mental fatigue, he said. Employers also must allow inspections by authorities to ensure the trawlers are obeying the law, according to Maj Gen Sansern.
Labour Ministry officials also proposed a bill to give job descriptions and working hours to migrant workers who want to work in factories here by day and return home across the border at night.
The bill would help state officials regulate migrant workers from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, especially those in special economic zones in border areas, he said.