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(for most recent news, click to jump to the bottom of the page)

22 June 2009
The State Railway Workers' Union of Thailand (SRUT) successfully organises a strike action against the government's privatisation plan.

1 October
A passenger train in western Kanchanabhuri province is derailed following heavy rain.

3 October
A fatal rail accident in Hua Hin kills seven passengers and injures many. Apart from the old and underdeveloped train system, staff fatigue is believed to be the cause of the accident. The driver hadn’t had a rest day in the previous month.

4 October
A freight train carrying cement powder is derailed in the north of Bangkok.

Based on the 1998 resolution by the cabinet, only five per cent of the 100 retiring staff are replaced annually. Furthermore, the government continues to pursue privatisation plans by setting up four sister rail companies, including the forthcoming Airport Rail Link in Bangkok.

12 - 13 October
SRUT mobilises its branch committee members throughout the country, and its workers in Bangkok's depots, maintenance factories and stations, to go to the Transport Ministry's office in protest at the recent fatal accident and the privatisation plans.

15 October
ITF Thai reports that the State Railway management is refusing to accept fatigue as the cause of the earlier fatal accident. It goes further, dismissing the train driver who was involved in the accident and cutting the salaries of the driver's assistant and the caretaker by 15 per cent for the next 10 months.

The union claims that the main causes of the accident were staff shortages and long working hours in addition to budget cuts, old trains and mismanagement in the State Railways (SRT). In this particular case, the union says that the safety system (vigilance device or the so called the ‘deadman’ system) did not function.

16 October
SRUT steps up its campaign by calling its workers to participate in a national industrial action to demand the railway management, Transport Ministry and the government to redress the staff shortage, in particular of locomotive drivers, and to improve the safety standard in rail operation.

Locomotive drivers, assistants and technicians start to slow down their work and work stoppages have developed by workers taking voluntary sick leave.

The government, Transport Ministry and the rail management launch a counter media campaign to attack the union by releasing misleading information. They say that the safety system is only a supplementary device and that the driver and his assistant are on board to take safety measures during their duties. Furthermore, they jointly announce to that they will be speeding up the rail restructuring plan.

They are also recruit graduate students from the Railway Engineering School and retired locomotive drivers to break the strike.

21 October
The State Enterprise Workers' Relation Confederation (SERC), which brings together unions in public services, transport, electricity, water, energy, banking etc, and the ITF Thai Coordinating Committee release their statements in solidarity with the SRUT.

22 October
SRUT visits the Royal Thai Police (crime suppression division) to file charges against the rail management on violation and incompliance of the Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2001, 2002 and 2009, related to improvement in safety measures.

28 October
The ITF sends a message of protest to the Thai authorities and asks its affiliates to support the rail workers and its union in Thailand.

29 October
Unions including the JRU, FNCTTFEL and CAW send their protest letters.

ITF Thai reports that the police were called in to break up the work stoppage that started from 16 October in the Hat-Yai Branch, southern Thailand. It is believed to be one of the strongholds of the union. Six committee members of the Branch were then dismissed by the management.

The rail management has taken the union to the Central Labour Court, demanding 70.4 million bahts for its loss of earning caused by the industrial action. It is believed that the top leadership of the SRUT at its headquarters in Bangkok will be dismissed very soon.

ITF launches its Online Protest.
http://www.itfglobal.org/solidarity/thairail.cfm

30 October
ITF General Secretary writes to the Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, urging his intervention to stop the SRT from victimizing the union members. http://www.itfglobal.org/files/extranet/-1/18438/StateRailwayUnionWorkersofThailand.pdf

SRUT, SERC and ITF Thai affiliates hold a rally in Bangkok to protest the news of possible dismissals of union leaders.

31 October
The union rally continues.

The SRUT says the Prime Minister has visited Hat Yai and met with the 6 dismissed union committee members. He promises to meet with the SRUT national leadership on 2 November.

The court has not issue arrest warrants of the union leadership as requested by the police before the end of the week. Meanwhile, the management suggests that they may dismiss another 18 unionists.

Hundreds send their e-protest from the ITF site including those from Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Palestine, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, USA and Yemen.

2 November
SRUT, SERC and ITF-Thai affiliates hold a rally in front of the government house where the Deputy Prime Minister receives the Charter of Demands by the unions.

Another union rally at the SERC's premises with various groups of civil society in the evening.

Members of ITF unions in Japan visit the Thai Embassy in Tokyo.

3 November
Thousands of workers, union supporters and members of civil society groups march to the government house and submit the protest letter to the government.

The union meets with the Prime Minister but the case is not resolved. He states that his office needs more time to investigate the issues. On the 6 dismissed workers, he takes the position that he cannot interfere with the legal system and withdraw the case.

4 November
Delegates from JRU and JREU in Japan and the Korean Railway Union visit the SRUT and express their solidarity. They appear on a live talk show ASTV at 2pm and later are interviewed by Thai PBS TV.
 
A delegation of the ITF Coordinating Committee in Mumbai meets with the consulate general of the Thai Embassy and hands over their memorandum expressing solidarity with the State Railway Workers' Union of Thailand. The consulate general assures the delegates that he will convey the sentiments of the Indian transport workers to the State Railway of Thailand.
 
Members of the RTBU in Melbourne visit the Thai Airways office and express their support to the Thai railways. A protest letter is also sent to the Thai Embassy in Canberra.

5 November
ITF Regional Secretary, Mahendra Sharma, together with SRUT leaders visit the ILO office in Bangkok. The Regional Secretary is then interviewed by media on railway safety. In the evening, he meets the 6 dismissed workers and leaders of ITF-Thai affiliates. More meetings are planned during his visit.

26 November
Two pro-management unionists gather petitions from some SRUT members and submit them to the union executive board. They challenge the 'leadership quality' in dealing with the recent dispute.

12-15 January 2010
The ITF Safety Mission starts in Thailand. Led by the ITF Railway Workers' Section Chair, Øystein Aslaksen, the six delegates visit Bangkok and Hat Yai during the week to investigate the dismissal case and study safety standards.

* 12 Jan - Meetings with the unions and Deputy Governor of the SRT. Visit to Bangsue depot (Bangkok)
* 13 Jan - Meetings with senior officials at the ILO Bangkok Office and Labour Minister. Visit to Makkasan depot (Bangkok)
* 14 Jan - Meetings with the SRUT Branch officials in Hat Yai and local senior management. Visit to Hat Yai depot. Press conference.
* 15 Jan - Press conference at the Royal Hotel (Bangkok). Media interview at ASTV station.

15 January
Thai State Enterprise Labour Relations Committee votes 5 to 4 against the dismissals. The tripartite panel has been investigating the case.

16 January
Transport Minister Sophon Zarum opposes the decision of the panel. According to the Bangkok Post, "He has ordered the SRT to appeal to the Labour Court against the committee's decision to reinstate the workers." They have one month to appeal.

18 January
The ITF releases its press statement, welcoming the decision of the panel. ITF General Secretary, David Cockroft writes to the Thai Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva to resolve this case peacefully and develop a new safety culture with the union without delay.

21 January
The ITF Urban Transport Committee meeting in Berlin unanimously adopts an emergency resolution in solidarity with the SRUT.

On the same day, the SRT management suddenly submits a 'charter of 65 demands' to the union, seeking to revoke the caluses in the CBAs that relate to safety issues and the operation of the sister company (Airport Link) without the union's agreement. The union quickly establishes its negotiation team and submits their counter-proposals to oppose the move. They also demand promotion of temporary workers to full-time status after 5 years' employment.

22 January
AFL-CIO sends its protest letter to the Thai Prime Minister, calling the government to respect workers' rights.

25 January
The SRT management withdraws the charter after being confronted with very unpopular responses from the workplace.

28 January
The bi-partite industrial committee meets. The union demands to include the dismissal case on the agenda but the management refuses.

3 February
The union holds its extra-ordinary conference as demanded by a group of union members who signed the petition against the leadership in November 2009. The meeting (a) endorses the report of the President; (b) unanimously approves the leadership performance during the dispute; (c) votes to expel the two ringleaders from the union; and (d) votes against any changes to amend the constitution.

5 February
Øystein Aslaksen writes to the SRT on behalf of the ITF Railway Workers' Section, urging the management to rectify its industrial relationship >>

8 February
LabourStart launches the Act NOW! campaign for the SRUT.

4 March
Following the train derailment in Songkhla's Na Mom district on 25 February 2010, Øystein Aslaksen writes to the Prime Minister of Thailand on behalf of the ITF Railway Workers' Section, urging the government and the SRT to develop a new safety culture in the railways together with the SRUT >>