I read with amusement the invitation by the Human Resource Minister Dr Fong Chan Onn's for concerned parties in the Bumiputra Commerce Bank-National Union of Bank Employees trade dispute to approach him for assistance. Despite the fact that his door has remained open, no one has approached him for help.

I am an employee of BCB and a member of NUBE for the last 21 years. In my years of working, no human resource minister (formerly known as the labour minister) has been as ineffective and maligned by workers as Dr Fong Chan Onn.

The minister has done nothing to resolve the trade dispute between BCB and NUBE which sparked off in early 2000. He was notified of the facts surrounding the dispute and the (NUBE's concern over) breach of the Banking and Financial Institute Act 1989 by BCB in outsourcing its banking business.

The trade dispute was referred to the Industrial Relations Department in mid-2000 for conciliation. The department only called for two conciliation meeting after which it decided to cease all efforts. Repeated reminders by NUBE to the department fell on deaf ears.

The last reminder, sent on July 1, 2003, has not received a response from the department. NUBE members in BCB announced that they would commence a nationwide picket on Oct 9. In an unprecedented move, Dr Fong on Oct 8 issued a declaration that two out of the five issues which were declared a trade dispute will not be referred to the courts.

This move comes after months of silence by the Industrial Relations Department. It was an attempt by the minister to stop a nationwide picket - a clear conspiracy between the minister and the bank. It is obvious that the minister is biased over the issue and today supports employers over employees.

The members of BCB have pledged that we will campaign against Dr Fong in his constituency in the coming elections. The Malaysian working class will need a better serving minister, not one that is a mere puppet of the employers.