State Railway of Thailand Strike

[Spitfire]

THAILAND‘S TRAINS AT A STANDSTILL; STATE RAILWAYS CHIEF MEETS WITH DISGRUNTLED UNION LEADER

BANGKOK, June 22 – Thailand’s railway commuters are struggling to find alternative routes and carriers to their offices and workplaces as disgruntled State Railway of Thailand (SRT) labour union members went out on strike early Monday, closing down rail services across the kingdom.

All trains have been suspended throughout the country as the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) labour union is protesting the proposed restructuring of the railways organisation.

The union opposes the Cabinet-approved SRT rehabilitation plan dividing the state enterprise into corporate units by setting up separate subsidiaries to run the SRT’s airport link project and to manage its assets.

Union chairman Sawit Kaewwan said by telephone interview during a Monday morning Modernine (TV9) television news programme on channel 9 that the union didn’t oppose the airport link but that the SRT executives and the government proceeded to establish the two subsidiaries without consulting with its membership.

Nearly three weeks ago the union submitted a letter to the government opposing the June 3 Cabinet decision adopting the rehabilitation plan but received no acknowledgement, he said.

Trains will resume service if the government puts the restructuring plan on hold and started negotiation with the union, Mr. Sawit said.

The union claims that establishment of the two subsidiaries will lead to the State Railways being run by the private sector and will cause higher fares in the future.

Meanwhile, SRT governor Yutthana Thapcharoen interviewed on the same programme Monday morning said he would meet the labour union this afternoon to negotiate.

The SRT chief said he knew about the planned strike and was scheduled to meet the union chairman Tuesday afternoon, but it was rescheduled for Monday afternoon.

He clarified that the SRT will hold 100 per cent of shares in both subsidiaries but some groups of railway employees misunderstood the national railways restructuring plan and the issue must be clarified to its employees.

The restructuring plan is aimed at creating income for the SRT, which has been running at a loss for some years, he said. (TNA)

Source - Pattaya Daily News

Don't bother planning any rail travel anyone, looks like the system is close to imploding. Can't think of a more underfunded, antiquated and forgotton public sector. If sorted out and funded properly, along with making badly needed new routes, then a lot of transport problems could be fixed/alleviated, not forgetting the pollution benefits of getting old trucks off the road............but then again I'm close to making sense, couldn't have that, could we? I suppose the bus comany mafia are the biggest obsticle to this, what's that company called? Cherd Chai?

[PeteC]

.....The union claims that establishment of the two subsidiaries will lead to the State Railways being run by the private sector and will cause higher fares in the future......

Well, the realization that profit is a part of business seems to be a surprise to them?

They don't care about fares at all. They do know that privatization means that the 'do nothings' will lose their positions, and those who remain will be expected to perform.

Bring it on and fire the lot, and remind them all that Thaksin would do the same thing. Pete

[doggie]

Trains resume on Tuesday evening
By: Bangkok Post.com
Published: 23/06/2009 at 04:03 PM The State Railway of Thailand labour union agreed on Tuesday afternoon to resume train services, halted since Monday morning by a nationwide strike, from 6pm following an hour of talks with cabinet ministers led by Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart.

The ministers who accompanied Maj-Gen Sanan in the talks with the rail union were Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum, Deputy Finance Minister Pradit Pattaraprasit, Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat and Deputy Interior Minister Thaworn Senniam.

It was agreed at the talks that the SRT labour union will be allowed to take part in a review of the whole restructuring plan along with the SRT board. The result of the review is to be submitted to Maj-Gen Sanan before it is tabled for the cabinet to pass a new resolution regarding the SRT's rehabilitation.

Sawit Kaewwan, chairman of the SRT labour union, and other union representatives agreed on the matter.


Mr Sawit said trains would start running again from 6pm, but services might not be fully back to normal immediately because it was unlikely the union would be able to contact all staff in the short time available.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who assigned Maj-Gen Sanan to head the talks withthe SRT labour union, repeated h is assurances the government had no intention of privatising the state railway.

However, the government would stick to the cabinet resolution that divides the SRT into three sections, one for rail track maintenance, one for train operations, and the other for assets management, he said.

The SRT would still have overall authority over the three subsidiaries, he said.

This was part of the plan to rehabilitate the SRT and cut its huge debt. The SRT labour union was welcome to take part in the restructuring talks, he added.

''Don't worry. There will be no privatisation,'' Mr Abhisit said. ''The rehabilitation plan is aimed at reducing debt."

Meanwhile, the Federation of Thai Logistics Service Providers said earlier in the day the logistics sector had lost at least five million baht because of the nationwide rail strike.

Federation vice president Thongyoo Kongkan said on Tuesday that industry disagreed with the State Railway of Thailand workers union's decision to stop work.

The strike had affected both local and foreign logistics operations. About 1,600 cargo containers were being moved through Laem Chabang Sea Port each day, but not all goods could be delivered because of the rail strike.

Traders had to pay 3,000 baht to rent a container and 5,000 to 6,000 baht for transport services, and did not know who would be responsible for these losses, he said.

[PeteC]

.....Traders had to pay 3,000 baht to rent a container and 5,000 to 6,000 baht for transport services, and did not know who would be responsible for these losses, he said.

Bad journalism and bad reporting to apparently sensationalize the issues. What arse holes.

A container leasing company will charge an ocean carrier less the $2.00 per day rental for a normal 20' or 40' dry cargo container. The ocean carrier will give the shipper (trader) 3 to 5 free days to load the unit and return it to the port for loading on a ship. If returned in time, there is no fee whatsoever for the container, only the normal freight rate tariff for the cargo being shipped.

If the container is owned (or even sometimes leased) by the ocean carrier, the free days to the shipper (trader) can go as high as negotiated, sometimes 10-15-20 days if a remote shipper loading location.

The strike has been 2-3 days in duration? So, instead of 3,000 Baht, in reality we're talking ZERO, NADA , 0 with a big 0 cost to the shipper (trader) for the container rental or fee.

If the journalist received what he wrote as a quote from some shipper (trader), we're seeing real time live corruption in action, once again. Milk the troubles for all they're worth. Pete

[The understudy]

.....The union claims that establishment of the two subsidiaries will lead to the State Railways being run by the private sector and will cause higher fares in the future......

Well, the realization that profit is a part of business seems to be a surprise to them?

They don't care about fares at all. They do know that privatization means that the 'do nothings' will lose their positions, and those who remain will be expected to perform.

Bring it on and fire the lot, and remind them all that Thaksin would do the same thing. Pete

Exactemundo Pete I couldn't explain better it as blunt as it is!!!

It's abso"freakin" lutely sure that the railway system is a dinosaur and that the union has a lot to do with it stagnating for decades -- easy jobs for life with huge over-staffing, thus they want to keep it that way.
It's really really Sad.
main reason for SRT's backwardness, however, is the lack of interest by politicians and civil servants in making an efficient modern system. There are a lot more kickbacks in road-building, bus-buying, bus-running, truck-operating, etc than in the railways, so the attention goes to road transport. which is bad for the environment and causes all sorts of havoc on the roads!

expect any Real changes in The Railway system now nope not really!!!

Your's The understudy!!!

[PeteC]

[Big Boy]

I've caught that train. I think it's the one that runs from Wang Po to Kanchanaburi. It was the trip from hell - the rise and fall of the carriage must have been a good 4 feet, over a distance of at least 10 miles. The seats were falling apart before our very eyes - never have I been so pleased to survive a train journey.



and, of course, Mrs BB slept through it

[PeteC]

Now the gloves need to come off! Pete
________________________
Talks on SRT revamp end in stalemate
By: AMORNRAT MAHITHIROOK
Published: 30/06/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

Talks on a rehabilitation plan between state railway management and union officials have ended in a stalemate.

The State Railway of Thailand Workers Union has refused to accept a rehabilitation plan proposed for the SRT.

Deputy permanent secretary for transport Thawal Onsira, who is also chairman of the SRT, said union representatives refused to hear out the management.

Under the plan aimed at solving the SRT's debt of 70 billion baht, which was approved by the cabinet on June 3, two subsidiaries would be set up - one to operate its rail services, the other to manage its property.

"The board has said repeatedly that the plan is not about privatisation but the union won't accept it," Mr Thawal said.

"At first private companies would be allowed to hold shares," he said. "But now the SRT will hold 100% shares. This is certainly not a privatisation."

Upset by the plan, rail workers staged a work stoppage early last week, leaving more than 200,000 passengers stranded and causing 16 million baht in damage.

As the talks proceeded, about 100 unionists gathered at the SRT headquarters to attack the rehabilitation plan. They came close to clashing with about 50 train passengers who showed up to give moral support to SRT governor Yuthana Thapcharoen.

Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum yesterday criticised the unionists for being irrational, saying the stalemate would affect the plan to restore the SRT to financial health.

SRT union leader Sawit Kaewwan said last week's strike would not have happened had the management continued talks with the workers and kept them in the loop. "The management refused to talk so we had to take drastic action to pressure them," he said.

[Spitfire]

Talk about reluctant! The SRT really doesn't want its 'cooshie number' interfered with. Think you were quite right with your first post Pete.

'Kicking and screaming' springs to mind. Government doesn't look like it has much control over that branch of public service and it is plainly unwilling to join the 21st century.

Even more so of a reason for Adhisit to 'shake it up' and consign the dinosaurs to history.

[The understudy]

Hallo there Pete & Spitfire.

Here's another verbal derailment by SRT workers union Sawit Keawwan on the Press tross question That one omap y that would be set up would run the Airport Link? He answered: "Give us a week and we send qualified men to take over Airport Link.!"
When I heard his comments last nite on NBT News last Nite My instant reaction was: "No way! Up my arse that you The SRT Union workers are ready to take over the Airport Link!" OK some of your workeers may have been already involved in the project but you are dealing with sophisticated computerized, 21st Century Technology here to most of your Uinion members a concept completely alien to them.
To operrate the railtracks, turnouts, signalling systems and the German Engineered Desiro UK Class 360 railcars reqiuires a certain amount of re-training which six months to the planned Inauguration run on 5th of Dec simply doesn't cut it!
If the SRT workers Union really run Airport Link then it has to seriously rethink their ethos. You cannot apply the same ethos you apply to the Nation's raillines that only the poor ride trains. Foreigners and Thais will use the Airport Link which in my view should be a calling card for modern Thailand thus for everything has to perform to near perfection. from M & R Dept. (Maintnance & Repairs) to Customer Service and the H & C Dept Hygene and Cleaning) these has to be @ the highest performing standards. but seeing from our current state and evidence Xibit #1 on Big Boys picture above I can't see any sudden Jump in standards soon.
The Airport Link trains travelling From S'bhumi to Makkason Central Station at Top speeds of 160 km/H faster than any train has travelled so far in Thailaand so far. Right now The Railcars that being on it''s test runs are being operrated by Malaysian Engineers while Thai operrators are being trained in Germany and Thailand !!!!

To our PM Abhisit he should not botch down and play hard with them overpriviledeged Unionist. Who still are stuck 40 to 50 years in Time and hinder any devellopment of a underutilised delapitated Trainsystem!

Your;s The understudy!!!!