03 Oktober 2014

MTUC Wants KTMB To Reinstate Sacked Workers

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) today handed over a memorandum to Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) so that the railway would reinstate the 40 KTMB workers who were sacked recently.

MTUC general-secretary N.Gopal Krishnam, who handed over the memorandum, said the sacking of the workers by KTMB for being involved in a picket (last May), was something that was unreasonable.

He said all the workers concerned were members of the Railwaymen Union Of Malaya (RUM) and the move was perceived to have violated the workers' freedom of expression.

"The move by the KTMB was illegal and violated the Joint Agreement and Industrial Relations Act (Act 177) for taking disciplinary action against the leader and members of the union who were carrying out union activities," he said when met by reporters after handing over the memorandum.

The memorandum was handed over to the Chairman of the KTMB Board of Directors, Datuk Ir Nawawi Ahmad at the KTMB headquarters, here.

On May 9, about 700 KTMB workers had assembled in front of the company's headquarters to demand for the termination of the services of KTMB president Datuk Elias Kadir.

Following the picket, 110 workers who were also members of RUM were issued with show cause letters while 40 of them, including RUM president Abdul Razak Md Hassan were sacked two weeks ago.

"We believe more people who were issued with the show cause letters would suffer the same fate," he said.

Gopal Krishnam said if the KTMB management still refused to entertain their demand, the MTUC would hand over the same memorandum to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in Parliament on Oct 7.

-- BERNAMA