Unions flex muscles as BN, Pakatan vie for votes
By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 — Local unions are re-asserting themselves in their quest for more rights and money, using threats of pickets over a key law and tapping rival political coalitions’ eagerness to court workers’ support ahead of a general election expected early next year.
With Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak expected to announce an “election budget” later today, the umbrella Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has vowed nationwide pickets against amendments to the Employment Act, which it said will allow employers to turn a blind eye to workers’ rights.
The Dewan Rakyat passed the changes last night after a five-hour debate.
“Ignoring us could be fatal for Najib,” MTUC executive committee member Bruno Pereira told The Malaysian Insider.
Barisan Nasional (BN) has made unprecedented concessions to workers since record losses in Election 2008, where it ceded its customary two-thirds of Parliament and five state governments.
This year alone, the Najib administration has passed a law to set the nation’s first minimum wage and promised to raise the mandatory private sector retirement age to 60.
Najib, who is also finance minister, is also expected to announce a major restructuring of civil service wages that will see some of the 1.3 million government servants enjoy pay raises of up to 40 per cent.
But private sector unions have continued to ask for more. The MTUC last week insisted on a base wage of RM1,500 while Maybank employees have held Najib personally responsible over a bonus dispute worth 80 months’ pay.
Even Malaysia Airlines (MAS) staff have threatened to picket in December if the controversial share swap with AirAsia is not reversed.
“Elections are coming,” said Human Resource Minister Datuk S. Subramaniam candidly when The Malaysian Insider asked why union demands were getting louder.
