A demonstrator dressed as a Thai hermit carrying a turtle statue entertains workers camped outside Government House on Labour Day yesterday. Among other demands, the protesters renewed their call for the cancellation of plans to privatise state enterprise

Hundreds of Thai workers gathered at Parliament yesterday, Labour Day - despite heavy rain - to renew three major demands made in recent years.

They called on the government to improve the working environment at factories, implement a more worker-friendly Labour Relations Act and curb all privatisation of state enterprises.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont later presided over a Labour Day event at Sanam Luang and received nine proposals from Manas Kosol, chairman of the Employees' Labour Development Council of Thailand and a National Legislative Assembly member.

At Parliament in the morning, demonstrators led by Wilaiwan Saetia, president of the Thai Labour Reconciliation Committee, and Sirichai Maingam, secretary-general of the Labour Federation for State Enterprises, submitted a letter to Constitution Drafting Committee head Prasong Soonsiri, asking that five articles be added to the draft charter.

These covered permission to vote near workplaces; the election of Upper House members and lifting of educational qualifications for senators; protection for labour unions and industrial activities; protecting workers through safe work environments and proper occupational health and safety; and suspending privatisation of state enterprises.

Prasong said he would consider the demands and implement them if possible.  Wilaiwan said that if the five articles were not included in the new constitution, workers might reject it because it would not truly reflect people's opinions.

Demonstrators wore different colours according to work origins and most had an orange scarf that read "objecting to privatisation of state enterprises". They marched to Government House amid tight police security.

Sirichai said his group, which included workers from 44 state enterprises, wanted to show their objection to privatisation and the State Enterprise Act of 1999. The demonstration eventually broke up around 1pm.

Meanwhile, PM Surayud said the government was willing to support workers in all aspects.

The nine requests he received included an increase in the minimum wage; limiting the price of necessary commodities; permission for workers to cast ballots at the constituency where they work; revoking the privatisation of all state enterprises; and free medical treatment from the Social Security Office (SSO) for retired workers.

Surayud said the interim government had not ignored workers' problems and needs. The Labour Ministry had been assigned to work hard to ensure workers were not affected by the country's many problems and the ministry had drafted a labour development plan aimed at taking care of all groups in all scenarios.

Surayud said the government had also reviewed at least seven draft labour laws, including those regarding an extension of labour protection to cover people working from home and unregistered workers, work safety and occupational health, and helping migrant workers. Other requests, such as a rise in the minimum pay and SSO medical services, were being considered.

He urged workers and employers to help solve Thailand's problems and create harmony via democratic and peaceful means.

Labour Minister Apai Chandanachulaka said yesterday's Cabinet meeting had approved draft legislation to protect job seekers and migrant workers.

The aim was to protect 27 million people from being taken advantage of while seeking work inside or outside the country, he said. It also sought to scrap a royal decree that stipulated occupations prohibited to aliens and instead identify jobs they could do and the amount of workers allowed, he said.