Thai Truck Drivers Strike to Protest Fuel Price Hikes

Thai truck drivers line up in strike action                                      Photo: Reuters

Thousands of truck drivers all over Thailand went on strike on 11 June to demand that the government take action to address the problem of rising fuel prices. The strike involved up to 120,000 trucks across the country, according to the Land Transportation Association of Thailand. High fuel prices are squeezing many transport companies out of business, as well as contributing to a price rise of around 20 per cent for many basic consumer goods so far this year. One of the Land Transportation Association of Thailand’s proposals is a series of government subsidies to help companies convert to a natural gas vehicle (NGV) system, and to establish a network of NGV stations across the country. As ALU went to print, the Confederation of Transportation of Thailand (CTT) had given the government until June 17 to meet its demands, or else face further demonstrations involving hundreds of thousands of trucks.
Sources: The Irrawaddy11 June 2008; The Guardian 12 June 2008