Union hands proposal to PM

Published: 3/11/2009 at 07:06 PM
Online news: Transport

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.

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Steve

Discussion 2 : 04/11/2009 at 01:02 PM2
In fairness to the PM (and while often critical of him, I always try to be fair), SRT is a key national asset and it's entirely reasonable (not naive) of the PM to take a lead role in trying to fix the current mess. Would you rather it was left to the BJT Minister of Transport to deal with it? (Transport being one of the more lucrative ministries doled out to BJT to get them into the present coalition)

In any case, there are plenty of precedents for such high-level involvement (US, UK, France, Germany etc.) in such an important issue as the national transport system.

I do think Khun Abhisit spends altogether way too much time showing up to make speeches at all manner of minor events and intervening in matters better left to subordinates - rather than paying attention to sorting out the important issues of his much-troubled government. But this is not in that category.

Yes, there may well also be a political dimension - given that the railway worker's union boss is also well-known to be a core PAD activist. Given that this PM (shall we say) gets on rather better with PAD than does BJT, perhaps that's another reason why he is stepping in........
Alphonse

Discussion 1 : 03/11/2009 at 10:28 PM1
So the PM is now a labor negotiator.

Very naiive.

Is it correct that the reason this Labor Relations thing is in the political sphere, is the involvement of the PAD militia?

I honestly dont know. I just heard something about that.

Steve

Discussion 2 : 04/11/2009 at 01:02 PM2

In fairness to the PM (and while often critical of him, I always try to be fair), SRT is a key national asset and it's entirely reasonable (not naive) of the PM to take a lead role in trying to fix the current mess. Would you rather it was left to the BJT Minister of Transport to deal with it? (Transport being one of the more lucrative ministries doled out to BJT to get them into the present coalition)

In any case, there are plenty of precedents for such high-level involvement (US, UK, France, Germany etc.) in such an important issue as the national transport system.

I do think Khun Abhisit spends altogether way too much time showing up to make speeches at all manner of minor events and intervening in matters better left to subordinates - rather than paying attention to sorting out the important issues of his much-troubled government. But this is not in that category.

Yes, there may well also be a political dimension - given that the railway worker's union boss is also well-known to be a core PAD activist. Given that this PM (shall we say) gets on rather better with PAD than does BJT, perhaps that's another reason why he is stepping in........

Alphonse

Discussion 1 : 03/11/2009 at 10:28 PM1

So the PM is now a labor negotiator.

Very naiive.

Is it correct that the reason this Labor Relations thing is in the political sphere, is the involvement of the PAD militia?

I honestly dont know. I just heard something about that.

Union hands proposal to PM