Human Resources Minister Dr Fong Chan Onn stated today he was "puzzled" why some 800 Malaysian Trade Union Congress members picketed in front of his ministry this afternoon as he has regarded the unionists as dialogue partners.

"I do not want to speculate on why they picketed. As to whether the picketing was illegal or not I leave the issue to others to study such as the Registrar of Societies, " he told a post-cabinet meeting press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

Fong's "puzzlement" was rather surprising as there has been press coverage on MTUC's plan to picket. Previous media reports have even quoted Fong warning that the picket would be illegal as MTUC, being a registered society and not a trade union, had no right to picket.

The picketing members later presented a memorandum to a ministry official, in which 52 unions expressed their disappointment that the Industrial Relations Department (IRD) was slow in resolving disputes (which has resulted in a backlog of cases), collective agreement disputes and union recognition claims.

According to Fong, during the years of 1995/96, around 3,000 cases were referred to the IRD (within Selangor and the Federal Territory), but the number shot up to 8,800 during 1998, went down to 5,700 in 1999, and to-date this year, numbered 3,000.

When asked why the Ministry had only acted recently to increase the number of officers in the IRD, Fong claimed that he had applied to the budget committee for more posts but that decisions would take time.

"I have already informed MTUC and its affiliates that we will be taking the right steps in terms of cases referred," Fong said.

Fong also promised that cases will be speeded up and that the issue of union recognition had already been drafted into the Industrial Relations Act.

"We wish to finish the cases as soon as possible and we want to work with them. A committee has already been organised to study the problem and it plans to meet three times a month," he added.

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