Thursday's picket to be peaceful, assures MTUC
Published: Nov 1, 2011 1:53 PM | Updated: Nov 1, 2011 3:58 PM
The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has given the assurance that the nationwide picket it plans to hold on Thursday
will be peaceful.
MTUC secretary-general says 18 locations have been identified for the picket and that the IGP has been informed about it.
The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has given the assurance that the nationwide picket it plans to hold on Thursday
will be peaceful.
MTUC secretary-general Abdul Halim Mansor said the picket, to protest the amendments to the Employment Act 1955 that was passed by the Dewan Rakyat on Oct 6, would not disrupt public order because it would be held after office hours from 5pm to 6.30pm.
He told Bernama when contacted that 18 locations had been identified for the picket and that the inspector-general of police had been informed about it.
"Based on my experience in my 30 years with MTUC, I can assure you that the picket to seek better deal for workers be peaceful," he said, adding that there would be 300 to 500 people expected at each location.
He said MTUC was not happy with the amendments, particularly the one about the appointment of a "contractor for labour", which allows employers to hire these contractors and not directly employing the workers.
This would mean that the workers were working for the contractor and not for the employers, he said, pointing out that the employers would have no direct responsibility over the welfare of the workers, particularly in terms of remittance to the Social Security Organisation and the Employees' Provident Fund.
"When a worker is injured in a workplace accident, how are we to deal with his compensation?
"This is going to be tricky because technically, the worker is not working with the employer, but he is doing work for the employer," he said.
He said the MTUC was also feeling unease with other amendments of the Act such as those affecting part-time workers and their salary and allowance payments.
"The amendments expose the workers to abuse especially at the hands of the contractors of labour.
"We want to resolve this domestically first, we don't want to bring this to the international level at this juncture," he added.
- Bernama
will be peaceful.
MTUC secretary-general Abdul Halim Mansor said the picket, to protest the amendments to the Employment Act 1955 that was passed by the Dewan Rakyat on Oct 6, would not disrupt public order because it would be held after office hours from 5pm to 6.30pm.
He told Bernama when contacted that 18 locations had been identified for the picket and that the inspector-general of police had been informed about it.
"Based on my experience in my 30 years with MTUC, I can assure you that the picket to seek better deal for workers be peaceful," he said, adding that there would be 300 to 500 people expected at each location.
He said MTUC was not happy with the amendments, particularly the one about the appointment of a "contractor for labour", which allows employers to hire these contractors and not directly employing the workers.
This would mean that the workers were working for the contractor and not for the employers, he said, pointing out that the employers would have no direct responsibility over the welfare of the workers, particularly in terms of remittance to the Social Security Organisation and the Employees' Provident Fund.
"When a worker is injured in a workplace accident, how are we to deal with his compensation?
"This is going to be tricky because technically, the worker is not working with the employer, but he is doing work for the employer," he said.
He said the MTUC was also feeling unease with other amendments of the Act such as those affecting part-time workers and their salary and allowance payments.
"The amendments expose the workers to abuse especially at the hands of the contractors of labour.
"We want to resolve this domestically first, we don't want to bring this to the international level at this juncture," he added.
- Bernama
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