Nearly 400,000 Thai workers await resuming work

BANGKOK, December 18 (TNA) - Although flood has receded in almost every area and life is about to return to normal, nearly 400,000 workers are still waiting for their factories to reopen so that they could return to work again. Latest official statistics released by the Labour Department show that about one million workers were affected by severe flood which hit the country about three months ago of which more than 18,000 of them were laid off. Approximately 600,000 workers are fortunate enough to be able to return to work while more than 390,000 workers are awaiting for calls by employers so that they could resume work and start a new life again, said the report. Many plant workers are still kept in the dark as they do not know when their employers would resume operations. For example, a group of female workers in Buddha Monthol area travelled all the way to their factory to enquire when the factory would be reopen. But what they saw was their factory is still under flood water and a confirmation from the company’s executive that they would not be terminated from their job and the factory could possibly be reopen next February. While the factory is shut down for more than three months, each worker will receive 2,000 baht from their employer. The money is insufficient, forcing the workers to struggle and find an extra income. Meanwhile, Chamlong Loysung, chairman of Thai Labour Solidarity Committee, said that government help does not cover every worker while waiting for factories to be reopened in the country. Monthly government assistance is 2,000 baht per worker while the employer pays 75 per cent of the total wage plus a guarantee that the worker would not be terminated within three months. Chamlong said factory owner with sound financial would not have much difficulty but those with unstable capital would not be able to join this scheme and this would leave the workers to suffer. He said many people working with sub-contracting firms have already been laid off from their job following the flood disaster. (TNA)