More than 1,500 employees of a textile company in Kluang, Johor, are planning to picket outside their factory to protest against the management's refusal to allow them to join a state union, said the Malaysian Trades Union Congress today.

MTUC secretary-general G Rajasekaran told malaysiakini that the workers' decision to picket was taken following the suspension of 70 of their colleagues for their pro-union activities.

He said that the Johor Textile and Garment Industry Employees Union met in an emergency session yesterday to discuss the deteriorating industrial relations situation there and decided to picket this Friday during lunch hour.

"The company has refused to heed the Human Resources Ministry's directive to recognise the union," said Rajasekaran.

He added that the company has proposed instead that the workers to quit from the state union and form an in-house union.

Suspension notice

Rajasekaran stressed that this directive is clearly in contravention of the provisions of section 5 of the 1967 Industrial Relations Act, which provides for the freedom of association of workers.

Last month, the director-general of industrial relations had notified the company, Ramatex Textile Industries, that 69 percent of their 1,800 employees are represented by the union and that the management should accord due recognition to the workers' body.

However, just before the Hari Raya holidays, the company issued a 14 days' suspension notice to 70 employees, all members of the local branch of the state union, the Textile Union Worksite Committee.

"One of the reasons for the suspension was that they had attended a conciliation meeting convened by the Industrial Relations Department in Kluang," said Rajasekaran.

"This is not only unlawful but absurb. It is clear that the management's action has led to the present unrest amongst the 1,500 workers," he added.

Rajasekaran urged the company to stop such primitive action and comply with the ministry's decision or do not blame the workers for a showdown outside the factory this Friday.

He added that MTUC had also written to Human Resources Minister Dr Fong Chan Onn seeking his urgent intervention to end the dispute.