Thailand's flood-affected workers seek urgent help from authorities

BANGKOK, January 6 (TNA) - Thailand's flood-affected workers in the central Samut Sakhon, Pathum Thani and Ayutthaya Provinces have sought urgent assistance from the Ministry of Labour, claiming unfair pay and treatment from their employers. President of the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee Wilaiwan Tia said that the workers, rallying at the Ministry of Labour in Bangkok on Thursday, represented thousands of flood-affected labourers in the country to call for authorities concerned to urgently implement measures to effectively help the affected workers, acknowledging that some firms have refused to pay wages and some others have only paid 2,000 baht to each worker during their suspended operations caused by massive floods in the last quarter of 2011, although the Ministry of Labour clearly announced that all flood-affected firms are to pay their workers at least 75 per cent of their full wages. A female worker from Samut Sakhon complained that her company, for instance, earlier announced it would resume normal operation this month, but it has now postponed to next month and is likely to continue postponing to pressure employees to quit, calling for the Labour Ministry's help as most workers are over 40 years old and will face more difficulties to find new jobs. (TNA)