Obama's visit won't improve workers' rights
Susan LoonePublished: Apr 29, 2014 12:48 AM | Updated: Apr 29, 2014 12:56 AM
The plights of Malaysian workers and trade unions were not an interest of United States President Barack Obama during his recent visit to the country, trade unionists lament.
Obama only represents the interests of multinational corporations, which abhor trade unions, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, who was a former International Labour Organisation (ILO) consultant, said.
The plights of Malaysian workers and trade unions were not an interest of United States President Barack Obama during his recent visit to the country, trade unionists lament.
Obama only represents the interests of multinational corporations, which abhor trade unions, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, who was a former International Labour Organisation (ILO) consultant, said.
"Don't hope for Obama to solve our problems... I'm very pessimistic about that," said Ramasany (left), who once taught political economy at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
He said Obama's visit was likely linked to the US-initiated Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, a free trade deal involving 12 countries.
"He came here with his own agenda and I don't believe he will help solve our problems. We have to help ourselves," Ramasamy told reporters after attending a ceremony at the workers memorial in Prai.
The memorial is a monument for about 30 people who died during the construction of the first Penang Bridge, which began in 1985. About 100 people attended the event.
Among those present were Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) Penang division chief S Ravindran, secretary K Veeriah and Electrical Industry Workers' Union senior industrial relations officer and former MTUC president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud.
US$1,500 minimum wage
Syed Shahir said the newly-formed Northern Region Electronics Union was struggling to obtain recognition from employers.
The employers were also fond of acting against active unionists and this made organising union activities very difficult.
"Why are employers hostile to trade unions when Malaysia in 2002 rectified ILO Convention 144, which encourages cooperation between employers, workers and the government?" asked Syed Shahir (right), who is currently a PKR senator.
"What are the employers afraid of when there have been were no major strikes or unrest in the country for so many years?" he asked.
Syed Shahir said Malaysian workers are not given a salary hike that is commensurate with their productive growth, which is two percent higher than workers in the high technology countries such as Japan, Korea and Singapore.
"We are only five years away from Vision 2020 - former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's blueprint for a developed country - but our current minimum wage is only RM900 per month for our workers.
"We need to be giving out US$1,500 in the monthly minimum wage if we are a developed nation, so we have a long way to go," Syed Shahir added.
Obama only represents the interests of multinational corporations, which abhor trade unions, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, who was a former International Labour Organisation (ILO) consultant, said.
"Don't hope for Obama to solve our problems... I'm very pessimistic about that," said Ramasany (left), who once taught political economy at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).He said Obama's visit was likely linked to the US-initiated Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, a free trade deal involving 12 countries.
"He came here with his own agenda and I don't believe he will help solve our problems. We have to help ourselves," Ramasamy told reporters after attending a ceremony at the workers memorial in Prai.
The memorial is a monument for about 30 people who died during the construction of the first Penang Bridge, which began in 1985. About 100 people attended the event.
Among those present were Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) Penang division chief S Ravindran, secretary K Veeriah and Electrical Industry Workers' Union senior industrial relations officer and former MTUC president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud.
US$1,500 minimum wage
Syed Shahir said the newly-formed Northern Region Electronics Union was struggling to obtain recognition from employers.
The employers were also fond of acting against active unionists and this made organising union activities very difficult.
"Why are employers hostile to trade unions when Malaysia in 2002 rectified ILO Convention 144, which encourages cooperation between employers, workers and the government?" asked Syed Shahir (right), who is currently a PKR senator."What are the employers afraid of when there have been were no major strikes or unrest in the country for so many years?" he asked.
Syed Shahir said Malaysian workers are not given a salary hike that is commensurate with their productive growth, which is two percent higher than workers in the high technology countries such as Japan, Korea and Singapore.
"We are only five years away from Vision 2020 - former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's blueprint for a developed country - but our current minimum wage is only RM900 per month for our workers.
"We need to be giving out US$1,500 in the monthly minimum wage if we are a developed nation, so we have a long way to go," Syed Shahir added.
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