Thai unions threaten strikes to oust PM

THAILAND: The heads of government electricity and water unions backing a campaign to oust Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra threatened to call informal strike action this week unless he quits.

Union chiefs at three state power and two water firms would be encouraging members to take holidays from Tuesday to join the campaign, Pien Yongnu, head of the Metropolitan Electricity Authority labour union, told Reuters. "We urge them to exercise their leave rights to join the rally daily until Thaksin quits," Pien said. The five unions command around 50,000 employees in Bangkok and elsewhere.

If Thaksin resisted, unions at 42 state firms from rail to telecoms would call a nationwide strike from Monday, he said.

The threats are the latest in a growing anti-Thaksin campaign, led by renegade Buddhist "Dharma Army" monks who want to force him out. Round-the-clock protests have been threatened.

Earlier opponents of Thaksin threatened a new march on his office to press him to resign, brushing aside calls for compromise as some 20,000 protesters rallied in Bangkok.

On Monday, Thaksin called on his rivals to compromise and again offered to meet his critics, but made no new concessions after at least 50,000 people marched overnight to his office.

"I can't end this conflict alone, we need cooperation from the other parties involved," Thaksin told journalists Monday in the northeastern city of Khon Kaen, where he has been campaigning in one of his strongholds.

"I won't let this situation last for long. The country could not be under a shadow like this, because investment will be affected - even though so far we haven't seen any effect" on business, he said.

bangkok, Tuesday Reuters, AFP