Workers at state agencies to get Bt2,000 allowance

The State-Enterprise Relations Committee yesterday agreed to provide a monthly allowance of Bt2,000 for six months to workers of seven state enterprises who earned less than Bt15,000 a month, and also made way for the remaining 57 state enterprises to request for such allowances.

After a committee meeting yesterday, Labour Minister Phaithoon Kaeothong said those working at the Government Housing Bank, Expressway and Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Government Pharmaceutical Organisation, Provincial Electricity Authority, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) and Port Authority of Thailand would be eligible for the allowance.

The allowance, which would cost Bt782 million in total and be taken from the enterprises' own budget, was approved by the Cabinet on August 25. Egat is said to have the highest number of recipients.

Though the committee had initially agreed to pay out Bt2,000, the Cabinet's Secretariat would have a final say on what the payment formula should be Bt15,000 plus Bt500 as per the Cabinet resolution or Bt15,000 plus Bt2,000, Phaithoon said.

The committee also agreed that the remaining 57 state enterprises, covered nearly 60,000 workers and therefore needed a total of Bt13-billion, should consider requesting for such an allowance, and once the board of their enterprise approves their proposal, the committee would consider it, he added.

Workers at the Metropolitan Electricity Authority and Metropolitan Waterworks Authority have already been granted such allowances.