The Malaysia Trades Union Congress (MTUC) is today calling on the 14 million workers in Malaysia to prove to the government that workers are key to the country’s economy and should never be ignored, by voting for Pakatan Harapan candidates in the coming 14th Malaysia General Elections (GE14).

MTUC Secretary General J Solomon said the workers had the power to vote out any government that is anti labour and kleptocratic because the workers’ voice and the workers’ strength is sacred and powerful.

We want a Government to give us the equal respect in the tripartite body so that Workers can have an equitable share in the wealth of the nation.

Wages are low, workers are becoming poorer, living on borrowed income and their livelihood is further crippled by surging prices of goods with the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) which must be abolished.

2.8 million households in Malaysia fall under the B40 income category and this is a large segment of our society who are being suppressed with poor wages and are unable to participate meaningfully in society.

Seventy-five percent (75%) of Malaysians do not have enough savings to tide them over for more than a week without work and eighteen percent (18%) of Employees Provident Fund (EPF) members will be living just above poverty line after retirement.

Unions are necessary to uplift the socio economy of the working class but here in Malaysia, they are being suppressed by archaic laws with no indication to repeal them. Our appeals to the government to reform these laws have gone to deaf ears but when the interest of the people in power in the government is affected such laws are introduced speedily to protect their interest.

The Minister and the Prime Minister has failed to respond to the appeals of the MTUC on various Workers issues. The Sabah state government and the Federal Government refuse to even respond to the appeal by the MTUC Division of Sabah and Head Office of the 1390 Workers of SFI from Sipitang, Sabah who have been temporary laid off.

Job security has become an indirect cause for undue stress for Malaysians workers as the country accelerates into industry 4.0, unfortunately no constructive action has been taken by the Government at the tripartite level to prepare the Malaysian Workers for the Future of Work.

The Minister of Human Resources has failed to carry out the National Labour Advisory Council objectively when the last NLAC was only held half a day in the last one and a half year despite the existence of various Workers issue to be raised and discussed.

The 3 Million job opportunities promised in the next five years in BN manifesto seems rather ambiguous because we are not sure if it is for national or migrant workers from China that come along with their investors. The promises of 1.5 million job opportunities in the 11th Malaysian plan is not fulfilled yet.

The problems of the migrant workers are caused by the lackadaisical attitude of the government to manage it genuinely has led to various continuous social problems.

Retrenchment of thousands of employees by irresponsible employers are not prevented by the government.

The government is also interfering in the administration of MTUC and causing a rift in the leadership which will jeopardise the independence administration of the Labour Centre.

Human and Workers’ Rights have been left out of the education syllabus so students, even university graduates are not aware of their basic human and Workers’ rights that would give them an understanding of the values, guide them on their rights and to respect the rights others when they enter the world of work.

Our greatest wealth is our unity in this multiracial country and we cannot sell this rich culture for the greed of power, wealth or under the disguise of industrial revolution 4.0.

There has to be clear separation of powers between the Parliament, Executive and Judiciary. Right now, the separation of power and rule of law is not clear and therefore a change is necessary to put in place checks and balance in the governance in the best interest of the people as we move towards a developed nation.

We as Workers, our livelihood is now being threatened and it needs immediate action to safeguard our decent work so that our family will be able to live a decent and meaningful life now and in the future.

Having considered all factors that has taken place in the last 1 year five months and having seen the deteriorating condition of Workers and Trade Union rights, as an elected Secretary General and the Chief Executive of MTUC despite supporting the elected BN Government in the past I am duty bound to appeal to you to change the government.

Let’s give PH an opportunity to serve Malaysians as a majority ruling party for five years. If they do not serve the workers, we can rise again to change them in the next five years. They have proven themselves to be good governors for the people in the states of Penang and Selangor.

In this way no government will be indispensable and will not demonstrate arrogance, inconsideration and corrupt practices as they will be reminded that they will be voted out by the population if they do not perform responsibly.- MTUC Website