His senator post has tainted his non-partisan role as the countrys top union leader, branding him a government stooge; yet Malaysian Trades Union Congress president Zainal Rampak is proud of his close ties with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

This (access to the prime minister) has never happened before. I have been in MTUC throughout the terms of four prime ministers. Whenever we have issues to raise the farthest level we can reach to is a cabinet minister, Zainal told malaysiakini in a recent interview.

Now the prime minister has agreed to meet us twice a year. This is where we can explain to him issues which he would not get feedback on otherwise, he added.

His critics question the relevance of such proximity with the premier, and are sceptical of what good it does for the labour movement.

The critics claim the union leaders attitude has changed since he became a senator in December 1998 and have constantly chided him for his pro-government stance.

Zainal, who is contesting the Congress presidency for the fourth time come its triennial elections this Wednesday, stressed that the congress must maintain a good rapport with the government of the day in order to get things done.

I did not say pro-government. I say we must maintain good rapport with the government, he clarified.

Workers issues are raised in a tripartite board meeting known as the National Labour Advisory Board, which has been criticised as ineffective and lethargic as decisions made by the board are often delayed by a sluggish bureaucratic process.

A beautiful organisation

Zainal, who is also general secretary of the Transport Workers Union, is being challenged for the fourth time by National Union of Transport Equipment and Allied Industry Workers executive secretary Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud.

Zainals political involvement in Umno, after jumping ship from DAP and then Semangat 46, give observers the impression that the senior unionist is an opportunist.

Warding off such perception, Zainal said MTUC officials are from different political backgrounds but when we meet to discuss workers issues we do not bring with us the interests of our political parties.

That is why this is a beautiful organisation, said Zainal. We are truly multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural. We respect the freedom of association although I am not saying that MTUC is above politics.

Not everything is about opposing the government, he added.

As a union leader and right-minded person, when the government does something that is right, appreciate it. Or else oppose it, he said.

Jealous, sleepy lions

Zainal first became officially involved in the activities of MTUC in 1972 when he was elected the chairperson of the Congress youth division. This was followed by more senior positions such as vice-president and deputy president until he was elected president in 1985, a position he has held until today. He is also chairperson of the Board of Directors of Kolej WIT, a technical training institute pioneered by TWU 24 years ago.

He still serves as honorary advisor to a number of MTUC-affiliated unions. As MTUC president, Zainal is a member of the National Economic Action Council (which is headed by the prime minister).

He is also member of the National Economic Consultative Council, a member of the board of directors of the Employees Provident Fund and a member of the tripartite National Labour Advisory Council, which is under the aegis of the Human Resources Ministry.

His executive positions in at least 13 organisations have led many workers to wonder if he could discharge his duties appropriately, giving rise to questions on his commitment and loyalty to the workers movement.

Zainal dismissed such scepticism as jealousy on the part of his rivals with regard to his abilities.

Some act like sleepy lions but I know they are sniffing. They are also the jealous type. I am proud of what I have done, of what I have spoken.

People should encourage me, not condemn me, because I am doing this for the workers. The organisation does not belong to me alone, he said.

Picket called off

Has he compromised his principals after becoming a senator?

It is common knowledge that Zainal was instrumental in calling off a nation-wide picket which was supposed to be held in May last year in front of EPF offices, to protest against the funds mismanagement of the countrys 9.6 million workers money.

During the height of the crisis, it was learnt that Zainal had sought Mahathirs response to defer the picket, which would have involved thousands of workers.

At the eleventh hour, Mahathir issued a letter to the Congress agreeing that the controversial annuity scheme would be deferred until further discussions. The scheme which was approved by the board, where Zainal also sits as a member, was said by consumer experts to be not beneficial to workers.

In the same letter, Mahathir agreed to reconsider the death and incapacitation benefits which had been reduced from a maximum of RM30,000 to only RM2,000. The benefits, a proviso in the EPF Act, had been amended without consulting workers, union leaders claim.

Mahathir had also agreed that the fund would be managed in a manner that would not raise the suspicions of others as EPF had incurred unrealised loses amounting to a substantial RM750 million due to unprofitable investments last year.

This year, the EPF is expected to announce a five percent dividend for its contributors, the lowest ever in 25 years.

On top of all this, Zainal is currently embroiled in a controversial land deal in Rembau (Negeri Sembilan) which he has dismissed as unfounded allegations.

Abolish ISA stand remains

Zainal, however, insisted that he will not budge on any issue that touches on his principles or has anything to do with the stance taken by MTUC

Clarifying that the decision not to picket was called off by the Congress general council and not him, Zainal said he believed that workers have the right to picket as it is a kind of protest within the scope of democracy.

They are also doing it within their own time. It is a form of checks and balances. And workers will not do it unless provoked by their companies.

We have not had a nation-wide strike or picket for almost four decades; we are better in maintaining industrial peace than any other country, he added.

Zainal challenged his critics to prove that he has abandoned his principles. How could he be accused of such a lie, he asked, when he had stood steadfastly by the view that the controversial Internal Security Act, which allows for detention without trial, must be abolished?

Even after becoming a senator, I still maintain the position that this act must be abolished. It is a question of principle so I stick to it. People do not realise that it is not easy to hold positions. Of course, it may seem glamorous, he said.

Awards and achievements

Zainal reached the zenith of his trade union career when he was elected a member of the Governing Body (Workers Group) of the International Labour Organisation in 1993. In 1999, he was re-elected as a full member of the body, the first time for a Malaysian labour leader.

Zainal has received several awards through the years for his services to workers. He was conferred the KMM (National Distinguished Leadership) Award by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 1997. He was given a datukship by Sultan Abdul Aziz Rakiin Alos Macarampat of Mindanao, Philippines, in September 1999, which is however not recognised by Malaysia.

The career unionist, who has been involved in the labour movement for over 40 years, was reluctant to talk about his achievements initially, saying, I dont want people to say  masuk bakul sendiri angkat bakul sendiri  as the judgment must come from the grassroots.

However, without being pressed further, he said he has done whatever that has been asked by the workers and has discharged his duties accordingly as president of the MTUC.

Wherever I speak, whether it is at a local or international platform or Dewan Negara (the upper house in parliament), I never depart from MTUCs principles.

I am not like some MTUC members who are known to have taken a different stand from that of the Congress when they speak on different platforms, he added, refusing though to reveal the identity of those members or the nature of their hypocrisy.

As a union leader, Zainal said, promises are easy to make but to deliver, one must have the guts.

We should never forget one thing and that is to speak for the workers without fear or favour, he added.

Destined to be deputy minister?

There have been talk recently that Zainal may be offered a deputy ministers post when he resigns from the union this year.

A veteran unionist has said this in line with the gradual absorption of MTUC, the largest private sector union umbrella body, into the government, of which Zainals senatorship was the first step.

This suspicion was further heightened when Zainal struck a deal with his deputy Mohd Shafie BP Mammal right before nomination, pledging to resign and make way for the latter to take over his position on Jan 1, 2003.

The rumour was given more weight by the fact that Zainal has publicly criticised the effectiveness of Human Resources Minister Dr Fong Chan Onn.

I have submitted the views of the workers to the prime minister. They say the minister is not effective, he said.

The minister must be pro-active. He has power in his hands, he can use his political clout to settle any dispute. Whats happening now is that he washes his hands or postpones the issues, he added.

Zainal said this when referring to the countless backlog of cases stuck in the Industrial Court. About 1,900 cases are still pending; some of them have been left in the dark for more than two years.

According to the senior unionist, industrial cases can be resolved within three months.

Most of the cases do not even have to go to court. We need one month for direct negotiation, one month for decision and if we still cannot find a resolution, then send the case to Industrial Court in the third month, he said.

Now almost every case goes to the Industrial Court. This will only look bad for the government. The minister is also a member of the ruling political party. He can use his position to handle problems, he added.

More than I love myself

If he gets to keep the presidency post for another term this time around, Zainal said his team will be looking into issues such as housing for workers and enhanced maternity and paternity benefits for women workers and married male workers.

It is a long struggle, there is no stop to it, he said. We should continue to proceed and should not feel demoralised. We must continue to try to convince the other side, he added.

Will he ever tire of his fate or regret one moment of his time being a unionist in this country?

I want to make MTUC a power-broker, a major partner in the countrys development so that one day, we do not only speak about labour issues but others as well, such as poverty, education and politics, he said, revealing his plans for the Congress.

I love workers more than I love myself, he said as his parting comment when asked about the issues closest to his heart.