Some 500 division heads from all 50 district offices in Bangkok threatened yesterday to stage a strike if their demand that their C-7 level status be upgraded to C-8 level without exception is not met before March 20.

They also said they would lodge a petition with the Supreme Administrative Court.

The hundreds of officials reached a consensus on the two courses of action after rejecting an explanation delivered at an urgent meeting by city clerk Nathanon Thaveesin. Nathanon said C-8 level status could be granted only to officials in certain positions, not to all 500 officials as the collective demand specified.

The meeting turned disorderly after the gathered Bangkok Metropolitan Adminstration (BMA) officials booed Nathanon. They also booed Charoenrat Chootikan, head of the BMA's Civil Service Com-mission, who said if the C-8 level rise was approved for all 500 petitioners, the total pay rate would exceed 40 per cent of the city's entire annual budget. This was not permitted under the law that established the BMA in 1972.

After the unruly meeting was ordered terminated, Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin called a special session with 10 representatives of the 500 officials.

He asked them to submit a report justifying their request for their status being upgraded to C-8 level. He said he would reconsider the matter based on their report before the commission's next meeting on March 20.

The division heads submitted a letter to Apirak last year, asking him to consider their request for promotions. Their reason cited was the move to promote all 50 district chiefs' from C-8 to C-9 level, with attendant increases in pay.

Last Tuesday the commission announced at a meeting that the promotion could not be approved for all 500 of division heads, as demanded.

Defending the commission's refusal to comply with the officials' request, Charoenrat said if collective promotion was approved, it would create a precedent inviting officials at lower levels to follow suit. Even officials qualified for promotion on a case-by-case basis would need to pass competency tests - a process that takes several months.

Speaking at the meeting before Nathanon made her statement, the representatives of the officials said division heads played instrumental roles in ensuring efficient public services at all district offices, working just as hard as district chiefs.