From:	"Parti Sosialis Malaysia PSM" <parti_sosialis@hotmail.com>
Subject:	MTUC WAKES UP !
Date:	Thu, 12 Oct 2000 02:11:39 MYT

MTUC WAKES UP !

Kuala Lumpur, Wednesday October 11th.

After 13 long years, MTUC (Malaysian Trade Union Congress) hit the roads
again. Today, more than 500 workers, mostly union members staged half hour
protest in front of Datuk Fong Chan Onn 's office.

The demonstration was staged to protest the Human Resource Ministry's
failure to attend to several crucial issues especially on the issue of union
recognition, collective bargaining and dismissal cases under Section 20. In
all these cases, MTUC has on several occasions brought to the attention of
the Ministry but the Ministry did not do anything concrete to resolve these
issues. MTUC then threaten to picket.

Many were surprised with MTUC plans to go on with the picket. MTUC had on
several occasions before, have also made similar threats but each time the
pickets were called off after some compromise is made. Today, after 13
years, the MTUC stood their ground. Many union members claim that the credit
should go to the Union Secretary General, G.Rajasekaran for standing firm
though facing challenges within the union. The picket was also a major moral
victory for Rajasekaran.

V.Selvam, Executive Secretary of Indah Water Union and Central Committee
Member of PSM (Parti Sosialis Malaysia) said that the protest was the right
thing to do. He also stressed that the state and the Ministry by delaying
recognition and dismissal cases are merely taking anti-union stand. It is
time to fight back. The last time MTUC was involved in a similar picket
situation was when the union opposed the Toll imposed by the government in
1987.

The presence of Zainal Rampak, the MTUC President at the protest clearly
shows that the workers did not gain anything from him joining UMNO and later
becoming a senator.
The picket today is also a blow to Datuk Fong's last minute attempt to call
off the picket. The Minister also told that MTUC couldn't picket because
they are not a union. MTUC hit back and said that they have the rights.

MTUC seems to have woken up from their long slumber. It is time now for
issues of worker rights to be put in place. The workers have nothing to lose
except their chains……..


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