Rail union fails to win support for all-out stoppage

       The State Railway of Thailand labour union has failed in a new bid to get the backing of other state enterprise unions to bring train services to a grinding halt.
       One state enterprise union said SRT workers could not hold the people hostage.
       The rail union yesterday met the State Enterprise Labour Relations Confederation, an umbrella group of the 43 state enterprise unions. It asked the SERC to support its suspension of train services.
       SRT labour union leader Suwit Kaeowan refused to speak afterwards,asking SERC deputy secretary-general Amnart Palamee to provide details.
       Mr Amnart said the meeting agreed to five demands: for the government to order the SRT to repair all trains within a month based on the SRT union's proposed budget of 100 million baht; that SRT executives must take responsibility if there are accidents before the repairs are complete; that SRT train drivers on southern routes do not have to work if the trains have not been completely repaired; that SRT management must not bring in retired drivers and SRT engineering students to drive the trains;and that the SERC will call an assembly on Monday if the demands are not met.
       An assembly will likely mean a major strike at state enterprises.
       Metropolitan Electricity Authority union leader Pian Yongnu said the union had a firm stance that any action must not hurt the public. He disagreed with the rail strike, saying it had caused distress to passengers.
       Stranding thousands had badly affected the whole state enterprise labour union movement, he said.
       It is not known exactly how many state enterprise unions have pledged their support for the SRT union.
       Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum yesterday said all south-bound trains would resume today and extra free commuter trains on all southern routes would be arranged for people wanting to return home during the long public holiday weekend.
       The SRT has sent staff to Hat Yai railway station to take back four trains seized by the SRT union's Hat Yai branch.