Almost four thousand workers lost their jobs at
flood-wrecked plants in this historic former capital, according to the
Ayutthaya provincial labor chief.
Wannarat Srisuksa, chief of the Ayutthaya labor
protection and welfare office, on Thursday said so far 14 companies have
laid off 3,787 workers after experiencing the most severe flooding in
decades.
But the companies are paying overall compensation of Bt91
million (slightly over US$3 million) to the unemployed.
In addition, he said, the unemployed are entitled to
receive payments from Social Security Fund at 50 percent of their salaries
for six months.
The unemployment is considered statistically low in
comparison with a total of 5,000 businesses in Ayutthaya which hires some
300,000 workers altogether, the senior government official said.
The Labor Ministry has notified those who have been made
redundant that there are 50,000 job offers available at other businesses
which survived the flooding.
Workers at flood-ravaged businesses yet to resume
production can register with the provincial labor protection and welfare
office to seek a government subsidy to pay a portion of their monthly salary
on the condition that the employers pay at least 75 percent of their
employees’ salary.
Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) Vice President Tanit
Sorat told a seminar on the post-flood Thai economic outlook Wednesday that
9,895 plants in eight provinces have been flooded, affecting 660,000
workers. (MCOT)
