Several unions and non-governmental organisations today expressed regret that Stamford College in Petaling Jaya has decided to terminate the services of three long-serving women lecturers, one of them pregnant at the time of dismissal, for alleged misconduct.

Malaysian Trades Union Congress secretary-general G Rajasegaran said he was dissatisfied with the college's action which followed the formation of the National Union of Private Higher Education Institute of Learning (Nupheil), a union for private college lecturers.

Rajasegaran said those who were dismissed were members who had taken the lead to set up the union, which was registered only in November last year.

"This is an attempt to intimidate unions from organising to get more members. After all the harassment, the unions will die a natural death," he said in a press conference at the Metal Industries and Electrical Union office in Petaling Jaya.

Rajasegaran urged private colleges to respect the law as the 1967 Industrial Relations Act clearly stipulated that workers have the right to form a union.

He called on the Industrial Relations Department to enforce the Act failing which more employers will be encouraged to breach the law.

Fired over 'walkout'

Fired in July, the three lecturers — S Sathiavathy, Norbaizura Naim and Lee Gaik Hong — said they were charged with gross misconduct for allegedly staging a walkout over their new job functions during a meeting with senior management in May.

All are Nupheil members.

The college has just embarked on an e-learning programme and the lecturers were asked to submit their lectures on-line.

They consulted the management about intellectual property rights and remunerations about their lecture notes.

Instead of addressing their concerns, they were allegedly asked to leave the meeting and later charged with 'staging a walkout'.

Stamford College has denied dismissing the lecturers for their union activities and claimed that they were merely taking disciplinary action against the three.

Nupheil, in a statement read out by one of its representative at the press conference, stated that the dismissal was "a ploy to be rid of the so-called union leaders".

But the union, Nupheil said, was not set up to be confrontational, but as collaborators in helping to achieve Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's vision of establishing the country as a regional centre of educational excellence.

"Nupheil is not surprised that intellectual property is the source of the dispute. We were registered to deal with such issues among other things," said the union.

"For far too long managements have coerced lecturers to condone matters that have eroded their relative remuneration and the quality of the programmes being taught," the union added.

Victimised

Women's rights activists who were also at the press conference took an equally critical view of the dismissal.

Irene Xavier of Persatuan Sahabat Wanita said the college's action was a grievance not only against unions but women as well.

"Already there are so few women in leadership roles in the union. We do not take this action very kindly.

"There is also the question of victimising women workers when they are pregnant. Labour laws dos not allow this," she said.

Women's Candidacy Initiative representative Zaitun Kasim said there were several issues in the dismissal which needed to be addressed.

She asked whether the college considered the women's good record and long service — between seven and 10 years — before dismissing them.

Zaitun pointed out that there were inconsistencies in the whole affair as two others facing the same charges were reinstated after serving a seven-day suspension, but not the three.

She questioned the manner in which the domestic inquiry was conducted, stating that the "threatening words used were unwarranted".

"With all these, you are left wondering if you are victimised as a worker, union activist or a woman. The three deserve some answers," she said.