Time to reset govt’s relationship with MTUC

By Callistus Antony D’Angelus

A disagreement between Human Resources Minister M Kula Segaran and some Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) leaders has resulted in a move to oust MTUC altogether. The disagreement, which involves the process that the human resources ministry followed in tabling some labour law amendments, has incurred the opprobrium of the minister.

The merits of the issue become a lesser issue when there is an attempt to cripple dissent within society, in this case through suggestions that MTUC’s role could be replaced by other organisations. Kula has cleverly positioned himself behind the move such that he can either ride on it or back out after seeing which way the cards fall.

The workers of Malaysia have long been sidelined, first through the exploitative and oppressive measures of the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) government, and now through an under-performing Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.

The trade union movement in Malaysia has always been seen as a threat to the government, whether the British colonialists or the BN government. Its leadership, barring a few exceptions such as the late V David and Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud, worked largely within the framework that the government set. It did not serve the interests of the workers of the country well, and it kept the exploitative capitalist machinery happy. This was achieved through the control that the BN government exercised through legislation that kept the true freedom and independence of trade unions under wraps.

Many trade union leaders felt that the way to get anything done was to ingratiate themselves with the BN government. It descended into a race to the bottom where workers and trade union rights were concerned.

The fall of the BN government raised expectations of a new dawn among workers and the trade union movement in the country. Without the support of the workers in the country, PH would never have assumed power. The start was promising, though it has since descended into a major disappointment.

The government is not giving a gift to workers whenever legislative amendments are made in favour of workers or trade unions. It is merely doing its job, and it is imperative that the PH government rights the wrongs and atrocities committed against workers and the trade union movement.

For a disagreement with a newly installed minister to result in a debate over the continued viability of MTUC speaks to the level of arrogance the PH government has since acquired, and that too less than two years after taking over the reins of government.

The are too few PH ministers or MPs that are encouraging and deal with dissent in true democratic spirit, the exceptions being the likes of Anwar Ibrahim, Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid, P Ramasamy and Charles Santiago.

DAP in particular, with its long history in the opposition, should be careful not to make the mistakes that it railed against when the BN government was abusing its position. When Kula talks about “decorum” in expressing dissent, he would do well to remember how he and many of us previously conducted ourselves when we felt passionately about some form of injustice.

The minister and his ministry should stay above being partisan, and play their role as part of the executive of the country. The minister should also quickly call for an open dialogue to reset the relationship with MTUC. The current situation does not bode well for the PH government. While a divide-and-rule strategy would help it remain in control in the shorter term, this will be short-lived as the people will not be fooled for long.