DISMISSAL OF THAI RAILWAY WORKERS

That this House condemns the unfair dismissal of six union officials from the Hat Yai branch of the State Railway Workers' Union of Thailand for taking part in national industrial action amid concerns about both the health and safety record and the anti-union practices of the Thailand Railways Board (SRT); notes that a delegation from the International Transport Workers' Federation visited that country in January 2010 to investigate the case and recommend that the management reinstate the dismissed workers, stop further victimisation of union officials, drop the lawsuit for damages filed against the union and build a new safety culture in the Thai railways with the workers and the union where whistle-blowers are not penalised; and calls on the Government to make the strongest possible representations to the Thai government on this matter.