Union hands proposal to PM

The labour union of the State Railway of Thailand handed a six-point proposal to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva in their meeting on Tuesday.

Sawit Kaewwan, chairman of the union, said the prime minister agreed only to a call for the setting up of a tri-partite committee to find sustainable solutions to problems in the SRT and promised not to privatise the agency, but asked for more time to look into other points in the proposal.

The proposal contains six points for the government to do:

1. Revoke the SRT's order to dismiss six rail staff

2. Solve problems over safety for passengers

3. Set up a tri-partite committee to sustainably solve problems in the SRT

4. Dismiss Yutthana Thapcharoen as SRT governor

5. End every form of privatising the SRT

6. Improve labour relations in the SRT

Mr Sawit said he wanted the prime minister to reply to the proposal in 15 days.

Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum, who was not invited to attend the meeting, said he would wait to see how Mr Abhisit would decide on this matter.

Mr Sohpon said according to a report from a committee he set up to follow up problems over personnel administration he learned that the responsibilities of the seven deputy SRT governors are confusing. He had instructed the committee to study on restructuring of the SRT administration and report to him on Nov 9.

Sopoj Saplom, permanent secretary for transport, said the SRT administration should cover four major departments: building of rail tracks, freight trains operation, passengers trains operation, and assets management.