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Page context: Union leaders sacked in Thailand
Members of the State Railway Union of Thailand (SRUT) rallied at the Thailand Transport Ministry office on 12 October to hand in a letter demanding government action over the dismissal of a driver involved in a fatal train accident.
When the government ignored this demand for action the union felt it was being forced to bring the lack of safety standards by management to public attention. SRUT claims the employer only replaces 5% of drivers who retire , thereby forcing longer and longer working hours on staff, along with increased levels of fatigue. Adding further risk to lives is the fact that only 12% of engines are fitted with all modern working safety devices. Workers felt they had no option but to protest. Management had agreed to improve safety standards as part of the settlement of collective employment contracts made in 2001, 2002 and as recently as January this year.
The employer reacted by filing a legal case against the union leadership and persuading the court to prohibit six union officers from engaging in industrial action.
Now the SRC is attempting to sack 14 of the union leadership. This is clearly seen by the union as a move to bust the union.
Use the link above to send a protest email. Unions wishing to send their own message to the Thai authorities can use the contact details below;
Relevant Fax and Email Detail
Office of the Permanent Secretary, the Prime Minister’s Office
Email: WEBMASTER@OPM.GO.TH
Public Service Center, Office of the Permanent Secretary, Prime Minister Office
E-mail: publichearing@opm.go.th
Fax: +66 2-2831294
Office of Prime Minister’s Secretariat, Government House
E-mail : Webmaster@thaigov.go.th
Office of Permanent Secretary of Transport Ministry and the Minister
E-mail: webmaster@mot.go.th
Fax : +66 2-281-3959
The State Railway of Thailand
Email: Info@railway.co.th
Fax: +66 2-220-4801
Sample letter:
Dear Sir/Madam
It is management's responsibility to guarantee agreed safety standards
We the undersigned write in support of the safety demands of the State Railway Workers’ Union of Thailand (SRUT).
It is the employers' responsibility to ensure the safe manning of trains and the maintenance of the infrastructure. Overworking train crews to maintain schedules as a result of a deliberate policy to reduce staff numbers is not an acceptable management policy.
The Union (SRUT) has informed us that this policy of staff reduction is leading to an increase in cases of driver crew fatigue which, in turn, can be a contributing factor in accidents. This fatigue is exacerbated by poor standards of machinery and infrastructure. It is unacceptable to hold any driver solely responsible for corporate failure.
The union also reports that the vast majority of safety devices on trains are not working correctly and therefore should never have been cleared by management to return to service.
This situation clearly indicates the liability of management in failing to meet agreed standards, and protect staff and the travelling public.
We the undersigned also condemn the use of the state administrative structure to target SRUT officers and officials. The use of police and the court to restrict the lawful functioning of a union for exposing serious shortcomings in your safety regimes is unacceptable. We support the union in its demand that as the employer the State Railway Corporation of Thailand implements agreed safety regimes. Blaming workers for structural failures in standards is totally unacceptable. We demand the reinstatement of all dismissed trade unionists and we demand you institute a Safety First regime as agreed with the railway union.
signed
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