Labour unions accuse ICT Minister Chuti of negligence

TOT and CAT Telecom labour unions are talking about filing a case against Information and Communications Technology Minister Chuti Krairiksh with the National Anti-Corruption Commission on grounds of negligence of duty, TOT labour union member Sopon Ya-ake said yesterday.

The two unions issued a joint statement supporting their management's move to challenge the National Telecommunications Commission's authority in awarding licences for third-generation wireless broadband service.

The statement said the management's move was to protect the interests of the public and that the management did not fear pressure from any politicians.

Both unions blamed Chuti for his failure to support the two state agencies.

Sopon said there were many groups trying to take advantage of TOT and CAT, and that TOT's moves were not politically motivated but were to protect its interests.

Chuti admitted that the 3G imbroglio was his fault, adding that he did not want to see state agencies having problems with one another. He said he wanted everybody to stick with reality and look at the issue from all angles. The minister added that he had no power over the state agencies and could only put the issue in the hands of the permanent secretary-general.

While the TOT union attacked him for not helping the agency roll out a nationwide 3G network, Chuti said the union should ask the management why the project had been rejected over and over again by the Cabinet.

He said he had forwarded the project for consideration, but the Cabinet wanted more opinions from other state agencies such as the Public Debt Department, the National Economic and Social Development Board, and the State Enterprise Policy Office.

TOT, which plans to spend Bt17 billion on the nationwide 3G rollout, debuted its 3G-2.1-gigahertz network last December but so far, it only covers Greater Bangkok. It recruited five private firms to market the service, and the network has 200,000 subscribers.