Nick Fredman, Bangkok
In the latest of a series of actions against the privatisation of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, 6000 public sector workers and supporters rallied on March 13. After widening opposition to the privatisation, and increasing protests against the government's whole privatisation agenda, prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has offered a number of concessions to EGAT unions.
Since February 23, workers, often numbering thousands, have picketed EGAT's head offices. Unions rejected a management demand under threat of disciplinary action to cancel all leave and return to normal work on March 14. Feeling the pressure from union protests and growing public opposition from academics and consumer groups, Thaksin agreed to meet union representatives on March 17, which he had previously refused to do.
Thaksin attempted to dampen protests by offering to modify the pace and form of privatisation. He agreed to one union demand, the scrapping of the State Corporatisation Law, the government's plan for the rapid privatisation of all state enterprises involved in water supply, healthcare, pharmaceutical production and media as well as power generation. However he insisted that all privatisations would still eventually go ahead.
EGAT management had also tried to broker a deal involving ownership of the majority of EGAT to be owned by a publicly owned fund, and only a minority of shares to be listed on the stock exchange.
Unions though are sticking to their demands that all current privatisation plans be scrapped, that public referenda precede any future plans, and that an alternative plan for the development of state enterprises be adopted.
The alliance of public sector unions, the State Enterprises Labour Relations Confederation, has sent organisers and activists to 100 districts of the country to mobilise support against EGAT privatisation, hold public meetings, and launch a petition campaign aiming to gather 500,000 signatures. Under Thailand's relatively progressive constitution, adopted in the wake of the 1992 pro-democracy uprising, this number will force parliament to consider the unions' alternative bill.
The petition campaign is being supported by a network of consumer organisations and progressive groups such as the Campaign for Popular Democracy (CPD), who are also campaigning against other privatisation plans. A rally of 4000, included a strong contingent of EGAT workers, demanded on March 17 that plans to privatise Bangkok's Metropolitan Water Authority be dropped.
Privatisation opponents are arguing that some government members may be motivated to rapidly privatise by direct personal interest as much as pressure from international financial institutions and local capitalists. In announcing a campaign against the privatisation of the Mass Communication Organisation of Thailand, which regulates TV and radio stations, consumer groups and the CPD pointed out that Thaksin's Shin Corporation owned the majority of the independent television station.
If their demands are not met, unions have pledged to mobilise around the country for a mass rally of 1 million people in Bangkok by the end of the month.
From Green Left Weekly, March 24, 2004.
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