More rail staff approved to break deadlock

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More rail staff approved to break deadlock

Published: 20/10/2009 at 03:59 PM
Online news:

The cabinet on Tuesday approved the Transport Ministry's proposal to amend a ministry regulation to allow student drivers at the railway engineering school and retired staff to stand in for striking train drivers.

Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum said after the cabinet meeting that this would help solve the problem in the short run.

He said this would take effect immediately and he believed they were experienced enough and capable of taking over the striking drivers' jobs.

Until train services in the South had fully resumed, the SRT would arrange vans to take passengers on halted trains onwards to their ticketed destinations free of charge, he said.

The Transport Ministry would submit a long-term plan to reform the SRT to the cabinet for consideration in three weeks.

Train drivers who went on leave ''without sufficient reason'' would be punished under SRT regulations. Those who were absent for more than 15 days without submitting a leave request would be dismissed.

Mr Sohpon said the ministry would try its best to resume train services as soon as possible. Talks with the relief staff would begin this afternoon so that locomotives held up at Hat Yai could be put back into operation, he added.

Mr Sohpon also said the Defence Ministry would be asked to provide more soldiers to guard passengers travelling by train to the restive southern border provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.

The State Railway of Thailand governor Yutthana Thapcharoen said on Tuesday that rail unionists must resume train services before they can open talks with SRT management.

Mr Yuttha said this was also the standpoint of Mr Sohpon.

He was responding to Sawit Kaewwan, president of the SRT labour union, who said he would be ready to hold talks provided the management issue an official letter guaranteeing that all locomotives would be repaired and well maintained to ensure safety within a definite time frame.

Mr Yutthana said this matter should not be raised as a precondition for talks. The SRT was always concerned about ensuring all rail systems were properly maintained.

Mr Sawit said in the afternoon that the labour union was ready to hold talks with the SRT management and Mr Sohpon to solve the conflict on the condition that Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart serve as mediator. The deputy premier had negotiated with the union during a previous rail strike, he said.

He said there should be a clear agreement signed by the administration and the union regarding the maintenance of locomotives.

Mr Sawit said about 140 of the locomotives in use were serviceable, but about 110 others were not safe. The union estimated the cost of essential repairs at 100 million baht.

If the trains in disrepair were used without being fixed and safety was not guaranteed, the railway management, not train staff, should be held responsible, he said.

Meanwhile, an overwhelming majority of people who have voted in a Bangkok Post website poll have supported the train drivers in their strike over safety issues.

They were asked: Do you support the train drivers walking off their jobs as they say the locomotives are unsafe? The Poll began on Oct 19 and is still open.

As of 4pm today there had been 2,934 votes cast.

Results:
Yes: 72.9%.
No: 24.6%.
I don't know: 0.7%.
I'm not familiar with the subject: 1.7%

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: Writer: Online Reporters; Position: Online Reporters

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Hyperinflation

Discussion 8 : 21/10/2009 at 01:42 AM8
It is unlikely there is going to be much support from the English speaking community for the SRT against the strike when the rallying cry we hear is that the union is pushing for increased safety. The simple fact is, all modes of transportation in Thailand are overwhelmingly lax in safety measures when compared to western standards (which is most of the English speaking readership), and few of the readers of the Bangkok Post actually take trains anyway, and most certainly not to the resistive South where they would be impacted by the strike.

However, I think the readers of the Post would be very interested in an in depth story that examined the issue of safety on SRT trains. What exactly are the union's demands (what does this device they want actually do), and what is the real reason SRT management is refusing to honour those demands? Some real investigative journalism would be much appreciated. It is hard to arrive at an informed opinion otherwise, and without information a poll among ignorant readers is meaningless.
Somboon

Discussion 7 : 21/10/2009 at 12:59 AM7
Dear Post,

Well, at least Sohpon admitted that this is a short-term solution and he is proposing a long-term solution in 3 weeks.

The Post should/must keep readers and the public informed in regard to the long-term solution. I, along with others, would like to know what the long-term solution/plan is. Sohpon should show it to the public also so that we can comment.
This gusted

Discussion 6 : 20/10/2009 at 11:19 PM6
David, discussion 4, have you considered the possibility that you are mal- or misinformed?
observer

Discussion 5 : 20/10/2009 at 09:09 PM5
DAVID:
The "bunch" seems to be responsible people, and they don´t want to risk the lifes of other people. They do the right thing, and I hope they will get even more support. They already have support by a majority of Thais, read the poll!
David

Discussion 4 : 20/10/2009 at 08:13 PM4
Observer I am not too sure what it is you are observing but the reality of the matter is there is nothing much wrong with the trains, other than being so way out of date it doesn't matter who is driving them. The strike is all about a powerplay and the bunch that walked off leaving passengers stranded should never be allowed to work in the public service again.
This gusted

Discussion 3 : 20/10/2009 at 06:59 PM3
I hope - but don't expect - that our completely derailed government will assume responsibility for any accidents that may happen due to inadequate training, experience and physical condition.

I would not ride a mechanically defective train, driven by any of these substitutes, who are nothing less than strikebreakers.

Start investing in relatively clean means of transportation. Stop focussing on road transport. Look beyond Thailand, look at Japan, France, England, even motoring Germany. They all understand - since ages - the importance of a REAL rail road network. Not a museum line to be ashamed of.
observer

Discussion 2 : 20/10/2009 at 05:38 PM2
WHAT?? Is this government totally off the track? This might end with an even bigger disaster than the last derailment in Hua Hin. Am I dreaming?
Mr.Rungroj Krongthaew

Discussion 1 : 20/10/2009 at 05:28 PM1
The poll should ask passenger on the train.All of them may said that very bad drivers leaved the passengers strand alone must kick him out of work.

More rail staff approved to break deadlock