Airport Rail Link dispute goes off the rails

       Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum's claims he has solved the industrial dispute surrounding the embattled airport rail link have left the SRT and the powerful rail union baffled.
       Mr Sophon said he had held "informal negotiations" with a leading State Railway of Thailand unionist over the Suvarnabhumi airport rail project.
       He said the talks had led to an agreement that the union would allow the Airport Rail Link project to be set up as part of a new SRT subsidiary.
       However, SRT governor Yutthana Thapcharoen yesterday said he was not aware of any talks between the minister and the union.
       SRT union leader Sawit Kaewwan also denied the workers had reached an agreement with the ministry.
       But Mr Sophon insisted the issue had been settled.
       "I have reached an agreement with the union representative, whom I did not want to identify by name," Mr Sohpon said."The talk led to an understanding and the union agreed to soften its position."
       The union previously wanted the debtridden railway agency to set up a business unit to handle the new project to make sure it would remain under the SRT's direct control.
       But under the SRT's restructuring plan,the agency is to set up a subsidiary responsible for commercial and freight services.