Wage subsidy for workers

The Labour Ministry has agreed to pay workers a monthly wage of 2,000 baht for three months to help those hit by floods and to ease unemployment.

Permanent secretary for labour Somkiart Chayasriwong said yesterday registration had opened for flood-hit enterprises to join the state subsidy scheme.

The government will offer a wage subsidy of 2,000 baht for each worker until January. The scheme applies to those from flood-hit enterprises and is conditional on the businesses not laying off staff during that time.

Mr Somkiart said many employers did not want to lay off workers. But some may not be able to pay them in full during the flood crisis. Some were only paying 75% of their salaries.

Unless state assistance is provided, the unemployment rate might rise, the labour permanent secretary said.

The ministry has also implemented several projects to help flood-hit workers earn money to feed their families during the floods. It has helped find jobs at other locations for workers until their factories start up again, he said.

Skills training was also being provided to workers who are given a daily allowance of 120 baht during the training.

Arthit Isamo, director-general of the Labour Protection and Welfare Department, said the cabinet had approved the ministry's proposed subsidy.

The state subsidy will cover 100,000 workers in flood-hit factories.

More funds will be sought if the number of workers registered by flood-hit factories in the scheme exceeds the target.

A ministry report said 15 flood-hit factories in Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani and Chachoengsao have laid off around 4,500 workers.

Udomrat Kraiyarat, a labour leader in Ayutthaya, yesterday urged factories not to make any more lay-offs during the crisis.