'Empty-you-see' was what an ex-unionist in Penang said to describe the current state of affairs in the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) when this journalist asked if the Congress had a website.

Another, when queried if MTUC was planning to do anything about retrenchment problems and recent unhappiness with the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), laughed. "Are you kidding? That union is a sleeping beauty!"

Yet one more, when told that MTUC had decided after all to defer its picket scheduled tomorrow to three months later following a promising letter from Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, made an obscene remark and said, "What do you expect - it's 'empty-you-see', can't you see?"

According to the Congress president, Zainal Rampak, the decision to defer the picket was unanimous, reached during an emergency council meeting held at the MTUC office in Subang Jaya, Selangor on Wednesday.

"During these three months we will take action on the issues that we have mentioned in our memorandum to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF)," Zainal told reporters after the meeting.

MTUC had handed over a memorandum to EPF on April 27, questioning, among others, the government's decision to automatically reduce employee contribution from 11 percent to nine percent, and the six percent dividend for the year 2000, the lowest in 26 years.

The nationwide picket at EPF offices was initiated to push for these and other issues to be resolved.

Duty-bound

There is a river of discontent flowing among the ranks in the Congress' General Council, but duty-bound to protect the Congress' 'questionable' reputation and to 'give face' to its long-surviving president, unionists are saying they're not disappointed with the deferral although in truth they are.

How can anyone not be disappointed when months and months of preparations have gone into this plan, people ask?

(The call for a picket had been clamoring since November last year but union leaders were told to be patient and give the new EPF chairperson Abdul Halim Ali a chance to set things right.)

How can anyone not be disappointed when it was not an easy task to persuade people to picket?

(The task was made further daunting by current arrests under the Internal Security Act (ISA) - which allows detention without trial - constant threats and snide remarks by government officials, especially Human Resources Minister Fong Chan Onn, labeling the union as "trouble-makers" or "anti-patriots".)

Tail between legs

Due to MTUC leadership's lack of courage, unionists now have to face their members and risk being branded 'cowards' for not taking up the challenge to defy the authorities.

Worst still, Zainal and his secretary-general G Rajasekaran had gone back on their word after having gone to town for days saying, "MTUC will stand firm on its decision to picket" and that "the Director-General's (of Trade Unions) intimidation won't work".

Journalists who attended a press conference at MTUC's headquarters in Subang Jaya on April 20, when the General Council met and endorsed the plan unanimously, will attest that Rajasekaran had said that workers wanted real, solid resolutions from the authorities and not empty promises and wishy-washy words such as "we will review..." or "we will defer this or that until a study is carried out..."

"One letter and three sweet promises from the most powerful man in the country were all it took to send MTUC running home like a dog with its tail between its legs," said a union member who was terribly mad with the outcome of the entire episode which he termed "just another sandiwara (charade)".

"Why behave as if the picket is a threat - when the other party confers, the 'threatening' one complies - when union leaders keep saying it is not (a threat). We thought this picket was about registering our concerns publicly, peacefully and collectively," he added.

"It is about exercising our rights," said another. "We demanded various issues ranging from the lowest dividend rate (six percent) in 26 years, to more worker representatives on the EPF board to be resolved, but only three issues were addressed. What nonsense is this? What reason do we have to defer the picket?"

PM's credit

In the letter dated May 8, Mahathir agreed that the controversial annuity scheme that provides workers' pensions through private insurance companies will be put off until further study on the matter is conducted.

Mahathir also said the government will consider revoking the reduction of death and incapacitation benefits for workers from the previous RM30,000 to the present RM2,000.

He also agreed to have a more accountable, responsible and transparent management of funds for EPF.

To the Prime Minister's credit, said some, he was willing to 'succumb' to MTUC, which meant that he recognises that the workers' movement is a force to be reckoned with.

"Fat hopes," said another. "This is very subtle arm-twisting. Do you think we could have had a chance if the Asean Labour Ministers (scheduled to meet on the same day of the picket) were not here for a visit?"

But there are some who are willing to give the government a chance.

"Let's give the government a chance. Let's see if the prime minister would honor his words. If we can't trust him, we should picket against him or (Finance Minister) Daim (Zainuddin)", said a union member.

Notice the words used by Mahathir (in his letter) - 'agreed to defer' the annuity scheme 'until' further study on the matter is conducted - what if the study finds the scheme beneficial after all and that it is appropriate for private insurance companies to handle the scheme as EPF do not have the human capacity to do so?

Notice the statement - the government 'will consider' revoking the reduction of death and incapacitation benefits for workers from the previous RM30,000 to the present RM2,000.

Hello? This is a clause in the 1951 EPF Act - amendments can only be done through an Act of Parliament, and are not one man's decision. What if the majority, who passed that controversial clause in the first place, decide to maintain their previous decision? Then it's back to square one for the workers.

And what about the other grievances, such as EPF's bad investment policies resulting in about a quarter million ringgit (about RM750 million) 'unrealised losses', bad loans and the unequal decision-making power between MTUC, employers and government representatives on the EPF board?

A more accountable, responsible and transparent management of funds was promised by the premier. How though?

Is the Finance Ministry prepared to effect a total revamp of the entire EPF machinery because it is the present one that has caused the fiasco? Many doubt they can see this happen in their lifetime.

Workers' solidarity

Well, the disappointment felt this time was not only among unionists or MTUC members, but reformists and 'non-governmental individuals' all over the country who were in one way or another affected by the EPF mess.

People are also beginning to understand the power of collective reasoning and show of force, so much that when Rajasekaran spoke at the launch of the Anti-ISA Movement in Kuala Lumpur on April 30, he got the most and loudest applause, lasting a minute, the 3,000-odd audience cheering "picket, picket" continuously.

Can he safely say he is not disappointed by the deferral? He did, however, say "the excitement is over". An anti-climax, really.

A unionist reminded that the picket is only deferred, not entirely called off, and that the picket would go on if things were not satisfactory.

Zainal's respond was non-committal, as the case with most politicians who can't make a stand. "We'll cross the bridge when we come to it," he had said.

For at least a week, e-mail calling for supporters to attend the picket on May 12 were circling around in cyberspace, too. People are awakening and prepared to support the workers' movement, reformists say.

Upon hearing the latest decision, they still stood by their support for the picket. One message read: "Do we need the MTUC - we should go out there on our own and picket anyway. We should not be cowards like MTUC, nor should MTUC or the government dictate terms to us. The power is in our hands, ayuh ... kita picket juga Sabtu ini (Come on, let's picket anyway this Saturday)!".

Indeed, they should, and send a loud and clear clarion call to the government that workers' solidarity is not MTUC, nor is MTUC synonymous to workers' solidarity.

People power does not lie in Zainal Rampak's hand nor the prime minister's. And neither, in this case, the Asean Labour Ministers'.

The power lies, as one journalist said, "in the hands of those who decides the next government".

SUSAN LOONE is a member of the malaysiakini team.