The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) made statement saying that the government needs to stop “currying favour” with capitalists under the guise of enhancing foreign direct investments (FDI), at the expense of workers.
J Solomon, the secretary-general of the MTUC, said that they understood the ramshackle state of the economy when Pakatan Harapan (PH) took over as government following the 2018 election, but stressed that changes to the socio-economy could not be delayed any further.
Solomon states that the MTUC is rather concerned regarding the current “confused socio-economic conditions”. He added that it was about time that the government start implementing changes for the benefit of the nation’s largest stakeholders, that being its workers.
“A government that ignores the workers’ needs will fail to overcome income inequality and equitable distribution of wealth produced by the workers themselves. It is necessary for the government to work alongside the labour movement to support the growth of trade unions, while nurturing a harmonious relationship among stakeholders, with the view to strengthen the economy”, he said in a statement today.
Solomon said workers were growing increasingly concerned with their livelihood, stressing that their interest could not be continuously ignored.
“For the last 60 years, workers have been side-lined both during good and bad times. The primary reason for such side-lining was promotion of FDIs and favouring the capitalist at the expense of the very livelihood of workers. MTUC urges the government to change the hitherto existing suppressive attitude towards workers”, he added.
Despite the delays in addressing labour concerns in Malaysia, Solomon remains optimistic of PH’s ability to resolve the issue. He expressed support for the Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad-led government, claiming MTUC has confidence that the administration would eventually overcome the problem.
