Democrats tell govt to clarify flood-prevention policy

Pimnara Pradabwit,

Kannikar Wijitsakolkarn

The Nation on Sunday

The opposition Democrat Party yesterday urged the government to clearly state its policy and operational plans for flood prevention after some Japanese companies announced they would move their investments elsewhere.

Democrat spokesman Chavanond Indrakomalayasut, blaming the government's unclear flood-tackling measures for investors' lack of confidence in Thailand, said the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) had withdrawn funding for the construction of industrial estates' flood embankments, while Sanyo and Cannon moved their investments in Thailand to Cambodia and Vietnam last week.

The Democrat Party thus proposed the government announce a complete flood-prevention plan with a clear budget to restore people's confidence; to declare flood prevention and mitigation as a national priority; and to cancel what it called unnecessary populist projects such as the Bt300-million First Car scheme.

Chavanond went on to say that, as the Labour Ministry had announced on Friday that 11,862 workers had lost their jobs due to the floods, three months' compensation based on the Bt300-per-day minimum wage would be about Bt300 million. Therefore, the government should pay compensation to the laid-off workers and find them work in post-flood rehabilitation efforts.

In related news, the Lamphun Labour Office has found 1,600 job positions for some of the approximately 2,000 Hoya Glass Disk (Thailand) workers who were laid off. Provincial labour official Kanchana Klinthong said Hoya must provide clear reasons for job termination, as well as compensation for the 2,000 laid-off workers, according to the Labour Law.

The Social Security Office will provide compensation for the period during which the workers are unemployed, the Department of Skill Development will provide vocational training for those interested, and the Labour Protection and Welfare Office would provide other forms of assistance.

This week, the Lamphun governor, labour officials and industrial operators would have a meeting about post-flood labour-related problems and possible solutions, Kanchana said, while Hoya would announce the number of workers whose jobs had been terminated on December 17. The Labour officials will announce assistance plans for the workers on December 19.

-- The Nation 2011-12-11

Same as Mr. T.’s when he was in charge. Promiseeverything and do nothing