Mekon River / Xayaboury dam creates 5,600 construction

Before construction began, many of these people had insecure jobs. Some were temporary workers on a daily paid basis while others were engaged in low-earning shifting cultivation.

So far, the US$3.5 billion project has employed more than 7,000 people, up to 80 percent of whom are Lao nationals.

Priority is given to displaced villagers when recruiting labour for the run-of-river dam, according to the project’s public relations advisory assistant, Khamkhong Kongvongsa.

Construction of the Xayaboury dam on the Mekong River is 13-percent complete.

Dor Khaosa-addy, who moved from his previous village of Houaysui to the newly resettled village of Natoryai 19 months ago, said most young people in the village have worked on the 1,285MW hydropower project at some point.

The father of four said his two sons and two sons-in-law formerly worked as daily-paid workers but now have full-time employment on the project and earn stable incomes.

“They earn about 2.2 million kip (US$280) a month each,” he said.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at 

via Xayaboury dam creates 5,600 construction jobs for Laotians – The China Post.