Claudia Theophilus

Mereka mesti menuntut sebuah dasar negara bagi mewujudkan pergerakan buruh yang kuat dengan pembabitan dan campurtangan minima dari pihak kerajaan, kata A H Ponniah.

The labour movement must seize the moment and gather enough guts to demand that the government lay off its affairs before pushing for long-overdue policy reform to ensure clout and independence.

A senior editor from India says freedom of information is important for an effective and free media, given the combination of rights to express opinions as well as carry on business.

The easy invocation of the sub-judice rule when reporting court trials is stifling press freedom.

Undependable public transportation has been blamed for exacerbating urban poverty by eating into the disposable income of poor families, says Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo.

The lack of a personal touch by the country's rich in addressing urban poverty was among the issues raised at a national seminar earlier this week.

The MTUC is pondering on how best to strike the right chord among women and young workers in order to remain relevant in facing the challenges brought about by globalisation.

The MTUC stacks blame over eroding workers' rights on the government's pandering to the whims and fancies of private sector employers.

At last, the 28,000-strong National Union of Bank Employees can hold an election to resolve a bitter leadership dispute which has hobbled the union for four long years.

While MTUC tries to engage the government in removing old thorny issues, the executive is busy reining in trade unions. MTUC president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud shares his fears in this exclusive interview.

In revealing that EPF investment decisions may be a state secret, the MTUC wants the EPF Board to be more representative of the 11 million contributors.

MTUC president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud shares his philosophy which combines political consciousness and professionalism, in a series based on an exclusive interview with malaysiakini .

Its president's vision for the labour movement is one of achieving political consciousness without confusing it with political ideology.

Kami berharap untuk mengumpulkan seramai mungkin pekerja. Itu, saya rasa, akan memberi kita satu gambaran di mana kita (MTUC) berdiri sekarang," kata Syed Shahir.

Winds of change are blowing through the Malaysian Trades Union Congress, as its president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud tells malaysiakini in an exclusive interview.

The MTUC has picked Dataran Merdeka as the venue for this year's Labour Day celebration, both as an awareness campaign and a barometer of ground support, says the union's new head.

The banking sector union believes that the government is using its internal problem as an excuse to institute tighter controls within the Trade Unions Act 1959, much to the horror of unionists.

A national seminar next week strives to solicit much-needed feedback on the country's largest poor segment - households with a monthly income below RM1,500 - in formulating the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

The MTUC tells the government it has nothing to lose if the ILO convention on freedom of association is ratified to benefit thousands of the country's workforce.

Human Resources Minister Fong Chan Onn is happy enough with the state of industrial relations and sees no reason to adopt International Labour Organisation recommendations.

Any review of the Trade Unions Act should aim for clarity and avoid arbitrary changes, says Chen Voon Shian, a former deputy director-general of trade unions.

Bantahan awal MTUC terhadap perubahan drastik yang dicadangkan kepada Akta Kesatuan Sekerja 1959, mencerminkan denga jelas kebimbangannya terhadap niat dan tujuan pindaan tersebut dibuat.

The MTUC's preliminary objections to drastic changes proposed to the Trade Unions Act 1959 is a clear reflection of its wariness over the intentions behind the move.

The government is not making any friends in the global labour body by ignoring repeated calls to promote freedom of association among the workforce.