THAI staff’s rally causes flights delay

BANGKOK, January 19 (TNA) - Ground staff of Thai Airways International (THAI), the national flag carrier, continued their rally at Thailand's main Suvarnabhumi International Airport Saturday to demand higher bonus, causing delayed flights. The THAI ground staff's strike began Friday afternoon, after they were unhappy with the THAI board’s resolution to pay the 2012 bonus only for one month and limited a salary increase to no more than 4 per cent. The THAI labour union then announced that the ground staff would carry on the strike until the THAI board met their demand, raising the 2012 bonus of the national airline's employees to two months and the rate of their salary increase to 7.5 per cent as the maximum. Several flights of THAI and other international airlines were delayed Saturday morning due to the ground staff's strike, prompting Thai Transport Minister Chatchart Sitthipunt to have ordered THAI President Sorajak Kasemsuwan to immediately negotiate with the protesting ground staff. The transport minister warned if the strike was long dragged on, affecting international passengers and flights, tough penalty would be imposed against the THAI ground staff. Meanwhile, Sorajak told reporters that THAI is planning to set up a special task force to handle foreign currency management, following worries by the airline’s executives over an ongoing sharp appreciation of the Thai baht. Sorajak acknowledged that THAI executives are monitoring the appreciation of the baht closely because 70 per cent of THAI’s earnings are in foreign currencies. On Friday closing, the Thai currency stood at 29.73 baht a US dollar, compared to 30.25 baht a US dollar a week ago. The Kasikorn Research Centre (KRC) reported that the Thai baht has strengthened against the US dollar to the highest record in 17 months and has become the strongest Asian currency since the beginning of 2013. The KRC projected that the baht should move between 29.70-29.90 against the US dollar next week. (TNA)