Perhaps buy water and batteries now. Pete
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BANGKOK (AFP) - Thailand's biggest labor unions have thrown their support behind protesters seeking to oust Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, as the premier vowed to fight to "preserve democracy".
"We have to show our force until Thaksin gets out," said Pean Yongnu, who heads a group representing 300,000 workers at Thailand's water and electrical utilities.
"The Network is calling on state enterprise workers to exercise their rights to take leave to join the People's Alliance for Democracy until Thaksin resigns," Pean said.
Pean's Network to Protect Electricity and Waters for Public -- a coalition of unions at the utilities, which are the five biggest state enterprises -- is the country's biggest labor group.
He said his group would try to convince unions at the 37 other state enterprises to join the protests when their leaders meet on Friday.
Pean said state workers were angry with Thaksin's attempt to privatize state enterprises and delays in awarding salary increases.
The announcement marked a major boost for the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), a loose coalition of anti-Thaksin groups with little in common other their opposition to a premier who is still believed to enjoy widespread support, especially in the countryside.
Thaksin was in Bangkok early Tuesday for his weekly cabinet meeting, but planned to return upcountry later in the day to push his campaign to keep his job.
"I have to fight to uphold democratic rule, which is under threat by groups of people and political parties who are moving against democracy. I am ready to sacrifice my life," he said.
The anti-Thaksin movement has been headed by two of his former allies -- former talk show host Sondhi Limtongkul and the leader of a banned Buddhist fringe group, Chamlong Srimuang -- neither of whom command large organizations.
Support from unions gives the protesters the kind of organization they have lacked, though some doubted whether workers would actually join the demonstrations that so far have failed to gain much strength on work days.
A new poll Tuesday found that in Bangkok, nearly half of those questioned want Thaksin to resign, but more than one third believe he should stay.
"I don't think that the union leaders can force members who disagree to join the protest, because everyone is entitled to their own opinion," said Arthit Issamo, head of the government's Labour Relations Bureau.
The unions cannot legally call a strike without first going through a lengthy negotiation period, but Arthit said some workers might take a sick day to attend the protest.
PAD is holding nightly vigils in a field near the royal palace until Monday, when it has called for a major overnight rally and a march to Government House early Tuesday.
Protest leaders said they would also march to the Singapore embassy to ask the country to "reconsider the takeover" by a state-owned firm of Shin Corp, the telecoms giant founded by the premier.
Singapore's state-linked investment company Temasek bought a nearly 50 percent stake in Shin Corp from Thaksin's family in late January.
Thaksin's relatives made 1.9 billion dollars on the tax-free deal, sparking public outrage that has snowballed into mass weekly protests against the prime minister.
Thaksin has repeatedly refused to step down and dissolved the parliament late last month in a bid to resolve the crisis.
But the opposition announced a surprise boycott of the April 2 snap election, threatening the legitimacy of the polls and pushing Thailand deeper into crisis.