MEA agrees on allowance

Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat said after meeting representatives of the workers union at the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) late Wednesday afternoon that they agreed that MEA employees earning less than 15,000 baht a month should receive a 2,000 baht cost of living allowance for a period of one year.

--It was agreed the allowance should take effect on the date the cabinet passed a resolution approving a cost of living allowance for low income earners, Mr Boonjong said.

Altogether 6,071 MEA employees were eligible to receive the allowance. The scheme would cost the government 12 million baht a month.

The deputy minister said the allowance would not affect MEA development projects  as the money would come from the profits of the state enterprise.

The agreement would be puit to the cabinet meeting for consideration next week.