Thousands may be left jobless

The inundation of 14,172 factories and businesses in 20 provinces has adversely affected 663,218 workers, Arthit Isamo, director-general of the Labour Protection and Welfare Department, said yesterday.

Severe flooding in Pathum Thani forced 3,326 factories to close, leaving 218,474 workers out of work, he said citing reports released at noon yesterday.

The flooding of the Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate could also have a negative impact on 175,000 employees because 227 establishments have had to suspend operations, he added. Arthit said he told Pathum Thani Labour Protection and Welfare officials to ask the establishments to continue paying workers while their businesses were closed.

Arthit added that according to the Ayutthaya Labour Protection and Welfare Office, 15 of 30 establishments in Bang Pa-in and Rojana industrial estates had paid their employees in full, another 14 had paid 75 per cent of the wages, while one firm had paid half the month's wages. It is estimated that 100,000 workers in Ayutthaya could lose their jobs, while the situation in Pathum Thani could only be judged after five or six days, once the floods had subsided.