LETTER | MTUC's indifference to minimum wage, maximum working hours

LETTER | When the Jaringan Pekerja Kontrak Kerajaan (JPKK), Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), concerned individual trade unions, and components of civil society are agitating for the enforcement of the national minimum wage for the most vulnerable segment of workers, the national leadership of the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) seems to have abdicated its fiduciary responsibility in the matter.

As the apex worker’s organisation, it would be expected of the national MTUC leadership to be at the forefront in the pursuit of compliance with the law, be it the minimum wage or the reduction of working hours to 45 hours per week.

Outrageously, the current national MTUC leadership, unlike in the past, has not lifted a finger in challenging the abuses so perpetuated by the employers in fundamental issues such as the implementation of the minimum wage and the absolute reduction of working hours to 45 hours per working week.

While JPKK, PSM, and concerned civil society organisations protested before the Prime Minister’s Office to highlight the non-compliance of the law, the MTUC National leadership has remained domesticated in the matter.

The current national MTUC leadership seems to have wrapped itself in a cocoon - living in a “di bawah tempurung” world - oblivious to the plight of the workers! They have neither the conviction to assemble the numbers to mount a protest against the recalcitrant employers nor the establishment for the matter. Taking to the streets, apparently, is not in their mindset or in their dictionary!

When the MTUC leadership lacks the enthusiasm, conviction, and courage to embark on a plan of mass agitating against uncaring employers, and by extension, the failure of the government to enforce acts of Parliament, one needs to ponder whether an alternative National Trade Union centre be contemplated specifically to safeguard, promote, and articulate the interest of employees in the private sector who - without any contradiction - are the engine of the country's economic growth.

Decades ago there was an attempt to form a national trade union centre to represent workers in the private sector - the acronym being CUPS, Congress Of Unions In The Private Sector.

Given the abject failure of the National Leadership of MTUC in addressing basic issues confronting private sector employees such as the employer’s refusal to implement the national minimum wage and the 45-hour work week, I am of the view that the formation of a Congress Of Unions In The Private Sector may well be appropriate under the circumstances.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.