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Thailand's public sector unions to begin nationwide strike
Thailand's public sector unions met on Friday to discuss possible strike action in support of a weekend anti-government rally triggered by the death of a protester in a grenade blast.
- Agencies
- Published: 09:21 November 21, 2008
- Thailand's public sector unions will begin a nationwide strike on Tuesday unless the government quits, union leaders said on Friday.
- Image Credit: AP
Bangkok: Thailand's public sector unions will begin a nationwide strike on Tuesday unless the government quits, union leaders said on Friday, a move likely to deepen the economic impact of a long-running political crisis.
"If the government remains on November 25, we will strike," Sawit Kaewvan, head of an umbrella group representing 200,000 workers at 43 state enterprises, told reporters.
In August, a partial strike by the unions in support of a long-running anti-government street movement caused havoc on the roads and railways, delaying shipments of commodities ranging from crude oil to rubber.
Sawit urged union members to join Sunday's anti-government rally in Bangkok, called by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) after a grenade attack killed one of their protesters on Thursday.
The PAD accused the government of having a hand in the firing of the grenade into the prime minister's official compound, which PAD supporters have occupied since August.
Besides the dead man, 23 people were hurt in the blast, the most serious in a series of small attacks against the PAD sit-in in the last few weeks. Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat has denied any responsibility.
There are fears the PAD will try to blockade parliament on Sunday with thousands of supporters ahead of a special session on Monday relating to next month's regional summit to be hosted by Thailand in the northern city of Chiang Mai.
The last time the PAD employed such a tactic, on October 7, two people were killed and hundreds injured in running battles with riot police -- the worst street violence in the Thai capital since the army opened fire on democracy protesters in 1992.
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