THAI labour union pleas for board chair to resign

BANGKOK, January 21 (TNA) - The Labour Union of Thai Airways International (THAI), the national flag carrier, has insisted to continue its protest to demand for an increase in salary and bonus of THAI staff and has urged the national airline's board chair Ampon Kittiamphon to resign. THAI Labour Union President Jamsri Sukchoterat told journalists on Monday, after holding a meeting with the union members that she is seeking a meeting with THAI President Sorajak Kasemsuwan to ask for his clarification on the national airline's latest revenue and profit figures. Jamsri acknowledged that there is confusion with a recent announcement of the THAI board chair that the company's profit for 2012 stood at 7 billion baht, enabling the national airline to pay a one-month bonus for all employees and to raise salaries to all staff by 4.5 per cent each. The labour union president pointed out that the THAI board chair compared the 7-billion-baht profit with that of 2009, when the company suffered a loss, leading to no bonus for all employees, with everyone fully accepting the status to help save the company. In 2012, the labour union president claimed, it was, however, a different story, as all THAI employees have helped cutting costs, leading to the national airline to regain its profit, while the THAI board has done nothing to help cut expenditures, including its revenue sharing of 0.5 per cent. The THAI labour union president vowed that the labour union will, thus, keep protesting and calling for the THAI board chair to step down. (TNA)