breaking news:Nationwide Strike against Samak

[uncleyap]

http://bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=130252

Nationwide strikes
Forty-three state enterprise labour unions under control of People's Alliance for Democracy organisers have agreed to stage strikes and to selectively cut water and electricity, halt Bangkok buses and delay all Thai International Airways flights beginning on Wednesday. The aim is to help PAD to force the government out of office.

 

[zhihau]

... The aim is to help PAD to force the government out of office ...

upheaval up north in Thailand, pending upheaval up north in Malaysia...

 

[uncleyap]

upheaval up north in Thailand, pending upheaval up north in Malaysia...

As expected, strike is on the way. Currently all major Thai news sites jammed by high traffic.

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Forty-three state enterprise labour unions under control of People's Alliance for Democracy organisers have agreed to stage strikes and to selectively cut water and electricity, halt Bangkok buses and delay all Thai International Airways flights beginning on Wednesday. The aim is to help PAD to force the government out of office.
Sawit Kaewwan, secretary-general of the State Enterprise Labour Relations Confederation and a core leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy, said the unions will begin by cutting water and electricity supplies to provincial police offices - and then to other selected targets.

Telephone lines to government agencies and the homes of cabinet ministers will be cut.

Flights of Thai International flights will be delayed nationwide and about 80 per cent of Bangkok buses will stop running. In a reversal of the policy, train service was restored yesterday to the Northeast and North.

A union representative told the union meeting that the 7,500 staf of the Government Savings Bank will "follow the confederation's resolution."

Mr Sawit claimed the plan to cut essential services was in response to the use of force against PAD supporters.

Fellow PAD radical Sirichai Mai-ngam, president of the labour union at the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, said the announcement of the confederation was only a threat, but then immediately said it would be put into action. The moves by the PAD-friendly labour unions were intended to protect the interests of the nation and were not for the benefit of state enterprise workers.

The confederation has 43 state enterprise labour unions with more than 200,000 members, Mr Sirichai said.

"Today is our D-Day. We have given them [the government] many chances.

"If the government does not resign, we will continue our operations until it quits," Mr Sawit said.

Boonma Pongma, vice-president of the BMTA's union, said there will be only 800 free red-cream buses left to serve Bangkok commuters, or about 20% of the whole fleet.

Somsak Manop, vice-president of Thai Airways International's union, said the union will delay the arrival and departure times of THAI aircraft and will reduce the number of flights.

Thammarat Ramkwan, president of the Provincial Waterworks Authority's union, said the union will initially cut water supplies to police stations across the country.

Phien Yongnoo, president of the Metropolitan Electricity Authority's labour union, said the union was considering cutting off the power supply to help the PAD pressure the government.

However, the power supply cut would be applied to government agencies whose bills were overdue by one month.

"We will hold a discussion to consider whether the cut-off period could be shorter than one month. It should be one week or whatever. We will do everything to achieve our goal of pressuring the government," he said.

However, at least three labour unions from state-run banks disagreed with the planned strike.

Kusol Boonklom, president of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Co-operatives' labour union, said members of the BAAC union needed to discuss the planned strike among themselves first.

Natthapat Yimyai, president of the Government Savings Bank's labour union, said his members had varying views on whether to join the strike.

Somsak Boonthong, chairman of the SRT's board, said the board is considering whether to resign following the stoppages by railway workers.

"The move by the SRT union to stop rail services was wrong, so we are considering resigning and taking responsibility," he said. The board is expected to make a decision in two days, he said.

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej called an urgent meeting yesterday to discuss the union stance with leaders of the People Power party.

PM's Office Minister Chusak Sirinil said the prime minister stressed the importance of legal means to deal with the protesters.

Meanwhile, northern and northeastern train services resumed yesterday after hundreds of railway workers went on strike last week and paralysed the country's rail system.

In Nakhon Ratchasima province, State Railway of Thailand governor Yutthana Sapcharoen held talks with railway workers and persuaded them to cancel the strike.

The first northeastern train, on the Nakhon Ratchasima-Surin route, left at 6pm, while northeastern-bound services from Bangkok were expected to resume last night.

 

[zhihau]

... As expected, strike is on the way. ...

i sincerely hope there would be no bloodshed...

 

[Dunga]

i sincerely hope there would be no bloodshed...

Looks like the King has to step in soon to prevent bloodshed.

 

[zhihau]

Looks like the King has to step in soon to prevent bloodshed.

last heard, emergency declared after clashes between the folks left 1 dead :(

source: Bangkok (AFP)

 

[captainxerox]

thai army waiting to move in only again...uncertainty in thailand, time to buy thai funds!

 

[tonychat]

cheer the thais... so where are those so-called political intellects here. With all their forsaken sinkie theories on how the political situation should be this and that.

The thais are people who dun give a shit to what rules and laws of things, if the leader is an ass and incapable, and self-serving, they do not need to wait for the next election like those sinkies to throw out the leader. (btw, even during elections, sinkies also dunno what to vote)

Laws and rules are to be respected when the leader is worthy to be respected. Sinkie got so much to learn.

 

[Man in the streets]

well done thailand !

Get rid of thugsinkapore !

 

[uncleyap]

i sincerely hope there would be no bloodshed...

:( too late, already happened.

Thug-Sin's thugs setup a tiny bomb attack at PAD's protest site, but not hurt any one with it. Then later they sent their thugs in to physically clash with PAD, already one death and several injured.

State of emergency declared for Bangkok already. But this is 2nd time. The 1st time Samak wanted state of emergency the Thai army chief rejected him. That show that Samak is not in control any more.

He is now literally asking military to take over, after he removed the mata chief.

 

[leetahbar]

http://bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=130252

Nationwide strikes
Forty-three state enterprise labour unions under control of People's Alliance for Democracy organisers have agreed to stage strikes and to selectively cut water and electricity, halt Bangkok buses and delay all Thai International Airways flights beginning on Wednesday. The aim is to help PAD to force the government out of office.

i hope u can see what's PEOPLES' POWER really is all about. it's about toppling bad gov EN MASSE. it's almost happening everywhere in the region including malaysia.

why isn't it happening in singapore when SDP keeps loudhailing at it all the times?? the peasants have already spoken. does SDP understand or have they really think they have connected to the ground?

 

[Ramseth]

why isn't it happening in singapore when SDP keeps loudhailing at it all the times?? the peasants have already spoken. does SDP understand or have they really think they have connected to the ground?

I think that loudhailer is allowed under the new Hong Lim rules.

 

[silverfox@]

cheer the thais... so where are those so-called political intellects here. With all their forsaken sinkie theories on how the political situation should be this and that.

The thais are people who dun give a shit to what rules and laws of things, if the leader is an ass and incapable, and self-serving, they do not need to wait for the next election like those sinkies to throw out the leader. (btw, even during elections, sinkies also dunno what to vote)

Laws and rules are to be respected when the leader is worthy to be respected. Sinkie got so much to learn.

This is the difference between civilization and babaric behaviour. Can issues be solved by resorting to protests and violence?

It seems that people like you have an agenda by advocating for such violence babaric behaviour.

The govt won by a majority vote, even if its 51%.
The people chose the govt.
If a portion of the minority wants to riot and create trouble, the govt should come down? These people basically do not have work, because if they do, they would have understood, by doing all these is creating a lot of trouble for those who wants to make a living for their family.

If you respect these troublemakers, don't come talk about democracy, because these people are practising communism behind a monarchy mask.
Best place that these people should migrate to is MYANMAR.:p

 

[jacobsgoh]

i hope u can see what's PEOPLES' POWER really is all about. it's about toppling bad gov EN MASSE. it's almost happening everywhere in the region including malaysia.

why isn't it happening in singapore when SDP keeps loudhailing at it all the times?? the peasants have already spoken. does SDP understand or have they really think they have connected to the ground?

.... In leeapore the good govt knows when is the best time to give candies, to balless Leeaporeans.

 

[Sideswipe]

If the govt won elections through unfair means then it's the peasants rights to topple the regime with protests and violence.

 

[silverfox@]

If the govt won elections through unfair means then it's the peasants rights to topple the regime with protests and violence.

Seriously you ask me, there is no fairness in this world. Let's face this.
The powerful will always win it through some unfair means. If the people can be bought through vote-buying, so be it. Further to say, even if they are bought, the people when it comes to giving the vote, they can still vote for the opposition, who knows?

If we are going to talk about a fair playing field, that is losers finding a reason. If the leader is lousy, after the 5 year term is up, the people will show their displeasure by the their votes, of course you can say they buy their way again.

The whole question turns around is, for 5 years of misery can it be bought with money.

What the PAD are trying to push through is for the govt to be made of only 30% elected officials while the rest 70% are appointed, (by you know who), so what is the point of having a democratic election. Who can be there to guarantee with this 70% of appointed people, the country will move in the right direction.

Might as well go back to monarchy days with 100% power. Who dares to make noise? Sondhi? Chamlerng? People? You?

We always hear people say topple this govt, that govt. But are the people getting solutions from all these? None. No concrete solutions and these people are just making noise, just because they don't like it.

In any case, resorting to violence is the babarian's way of handling things. Unless these people we are talking about are not humans but animals.

 

[silverfox@]

i hope u can see what's PEOPLES' POWER really is all about. it's about toppling bad gov EN MASSE. it's almost happening everywhere in the region including malaysia.

why isn't it happening in singapore when SDP keeps loudhailing at it all the times?? the peasants have already spoken. does SDP understand or have they really think they have connected to the ground?

It isn't happening in singapore because most people have jobs and family to feed. Most of those who goes on demostrations are jobless people or have nothing to do.

So is seeing a protest or demostration going to make you orgasm. If it is, why are those here advocating for strikes not in Singapore to protest along the streets of singapore?
Or is it all that courage only comes on an online forum plus being a keyboard warrior?

 

[SIFU]

for the 1 who cheer the thais..

convert to thai citizen.. this way u can avoid most sinkies ( of cos in thai still have some lah )..

 

[BlueCat]

this is one very good example of freedom and democracy can do to a country.
will all these regular demostrations,strikes and coups,the economic is going backward and in the end who suffers - the people are going to pay for it.

 

[Alu862]

That's because the Thai people have leaders that know how to lead civil society, not like Yap