The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) today called on its members to attend its May 12 picket against the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) instead of a government-organised gathering for workers to be held on the same day.

The Human Resources Ministry has announced a gathering with the theme 'Workers: The Catalyst for National Development' at the Bukit Jalil National Sports Complex on May 12.

"We are telling our members to attend the May 12 picket against the EPF and not the one organised by the government," MTUC secretary-general G Rajasekaran told malaysiakini today.

"How can our members go to that gathering when they have to attend our picket?"he said.

MTUC is planning a nationwide picket on May 12 in front of EPF offices throughout the country including Sabah and Sarawak.

The picket, announced on April 7 by MTUC president Zainal Rampak, is to protest among others, the investment policies of the EPF and the decreasing amount of its annual dividends.

According to Rajasekaran, it is a coincidence that the two events happen to fall on the same day.

"There is no attempt by either party to hijack the workers. They (Human Resources Ministry) did not know the date for our picket and we did not know the date for their assembly," he said.

Be mindful

Meanwhile, Human Resources Minister Fong Chan Onn today reiterated his appeal to MTUC to cancel the controversial picket.

He said that the congress should be mindful of Malaysia's image and reputation, especially when Asean ministers for labour are due to visit the country around the time of the proposed anti-EPF picket.

"The Human Resources Ministry always keeps in close touch with MTUC and other union organisations and I hope they will reciprocate this goodwill so that together we can project the country in the proper manner," he told reporters after opening an exhibition centre at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh).

Fong also said cooperation of the unions was needed at the present moment to help the country avoid negative effects of the United States' economic slowdown.

"We need to induce greater confidence to attract foreign investment and ensure that our economy does not suffer negatively from the US economic slowdown.

"If they (MTUC) can cooperate with us, then there will be more jobs for workers and higher pay for all because there will be a greater flow of investments," he said.

Fong advised MTUC to meet with EPF officers to discuss their disagreements.

"Any misunderstanding can be resolved through discussion and we can avoid picketing," he said.

RM100 million

When asked to comment on the latest spat between the MTUC and the Civil Servants Union (Cuepacs), Fong said that he would try to mediate the dispute.

"I will call both sides to see me in the next few days," Fong said.

The Sun daily reported on Monday that Rajasekaran had lambasted Cuepacs president N Siva Subramaniam for allegedly saying at a meeting that opposition parties had pumped into MTUC RM100 million.

The meeting, which was sponsored by the Human Resources Ministry, was held to persuade MTUC to call off its anti-EPF picket. It was attended by Siva, Zainal, his deputy Mohamad Shafie Mammal, Human Resources Ministry secretary-general Syed Muhammad Syed Abdul Kadir and Industrial Relations Department director general Ismail Abdul Rahim.

Siva has denied making the statement.