Protest at Thai Embassy in Brussels over Privatisation

The ICEM's Executive Committee, the global union federation's governing body, interrupted its annual session in Brussels today to stage a demonstration at the Embassy of Thailand in Belgium. Some 120 trade union leaders from 40 countries converged on the embassy in protest against the government's continued privatisation push of the nation's electric and water services.

The noon-hour demonstration was part of an "International Week of Action" on behalf of ICEM affiliate EGAT-LU and Thai unions Metropolitan Electric-City Authority Union (MEA) and Provincial Electric-City Authority (PEA). The unions have succeeded to date in delaying the privatisation of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), but the government of Prime Minister Thaskin Shinawatra is still intent on making EGAT a publicly traded company.

After pushing up to the door of the Thai embassy with letters of protest from their respective unions, Brussels police informed the ICEM's union leaders that a 50-meter distance rule exists on mass assembly in front of a nation's foreign mission. The delegates then crossed a boulevard and ICEM General Secretary Fred Higgs, President John Maitland and ICEM Vice President Paul Lootens from AC/CG-FGTB in Belgium entered the embassy with the letters.

"We were received by the first secretary of the embassy in the absence of a Thai ambassador in Belgium at this time," said Higgs, who visited the ongoing protests by the Thai unions in Bangkok in late April. "We were able to convey the views of the international trade union movement on the Thai government's intent to privatise and the officer assured that responses to the letters would be forthcoming."

ICEM affiliates throughout the world used 24-28 May as a week in which to register their protests with Thailand over the privatisation matter.

In Thailand, the week of action produced more protests and more direct action against the government's plans.