State enterprise workers are likely to stage a prolonged general strike in a bid to finally force Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to step down, labour union leaders said yesterday.

They assured, however, that the strike would not affect services from public utilities. A number of staff would be left on standby to ensure that services like electricity and tap water continue as usual.

If Thaksin remained stubborn and the daily rallies failed to force him out of office, "a general strike for several days or work slowdown will be the last resort for us if things do not improve", said Pien Yongnu, chief of the Metropolitan Electricity Authority labour union.

Initially, the widespread work stoppage would last two months or until Thaksin quit, he said.

Somsak Kosaisuk, an adviser to the Confederation of State Enter-prise Workers Relations, said yesterday it would issue a statement calling for workers in all 42 state enterprises to stop work and take part in the anti-Thaksin rally for two days beginning today.

"If the rally continues or if there's some violence during the rally, we will suggest a general strike until the prime minister resigns from his post," he said.

The union leaders said that in addition to work stoppages, the state enterprises taking part in the protest would also stop charging users for utilities' services.

The confederation is an umbrella group of state-enterprise labour unions.

Union leaders will on Friday file a request with the Labour Ministry to convene a meeting of state enterprise labour unions next Monday, when they will discuss the work stoppage, Pien said.

Thaksin yesterday continued his election campaign in Khon Kaen and Nakhon Ratchasima, where he received a warm welcome from supporters of the ruling Thai Rak Thai Party.

In a related development, a survey by Abac Poll found that a growing number of Bangkok voters want the prime minister to step down to end the political turmoil. The demand for Thaksin's resignation jumped from 39 per cent last Wednesday to 48 per cent yesterday.

About 46 per cent of the 2,175 respondents favoured a royally appointed government, compared to 38 per cent last Wednesday.

The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) last night kept the pressure on Prime Minister Thaksin after a huge rally that passed Government House on Sunday night failed to deliver the knock-out punch.

PAD said it would organise protests between 4pm until midnight every day until next Monday. Another huge rally is to be called in the following morning, March 14, at Sanam Luang. At that time Thaksin will be holding his weekly Cabinet meeting at Government House, and the protesters will call on him to offer his resignation, media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul said.

With attendance last night sharply down on Sunday night's gathering of 100,000, the alliance decided it would keep the protest simmering until major demonstrations at Sanam Luang build up enough pressure to bring down Thaksin.

"Let's see, between us and Thaksin, who will be more patient. I believe we can outlast Thaksin even though we face more difficulties than him," said Dharma Army chief Chamlong Srimuang, who is one of five coordinating members of the PAD.

In conjunction with the rallies at Sanam Luang, coordinator Suriyasai Katasila said other agencies under the people's alliance were prepared to launch many campaigns to pressure the government.

Some members yesterday unveiled a campaign to boycott companies affiliated with Thaksin including Shin Corp as well as disobedience such as work stoppages.

Labour leader Somsak Kosaisuk, a PAD coordinator, said state enterprise workers, mostly from the power and water authorities, would call a strike and add more people to the Sanam Luang rally.

He told last night's rally that "one day" the protesters would go to the Singapore Embassy to "demand the return of national assets" from Temasek Holdings, which has taken over Shin Corp. Somsak also threatened to take the protest to the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

But the strike would not affect ordinary people, said Sirichai Mai-ngarm, secretary-general of the Confederation for State Enterprise Relations. "If we cut the power and water, it will only be at Thaksin's residences," he told the protest.

At the same time, state enterprise workers will not bill people for power and water usage, he said. "We will stop working tactically, people can use power and water free of charge," he said.

The PAD led a huge rally from Sanam Luang to Government House on Sunday to put more pressure on Thaksin to step down or quit politics.

Media firebrand Sondhi, who launched the anti-Thaksin campaign last year, claimed victory as the PAD was able to manage the peaceful rally to Government House.

The protesters accused Thaksin of corruption, abuse of power and unethical administration, saying he was running a government mostly for his cronies. Anti-Thaksin sentiment has been mounting since the Bt73 billion sale of the Thaksin family's stake in Shin Crop to Temasak, a Singapore investment fund.

Thaksin has dissolved the Parliament and ordered a new election for April 2, which the major opposition parties have said they will boycott.

Damrongpan Jaihao,

Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Nation