the blogging syed shahir

Malaysian Trade Union Congress

NEW YEAR MESSAGE

The New Year brings about a time for reflection, as well as in making some personal resolutions which many of us hope would bring about improvements to us individually and in some cases towards the betterment of society.

As part of the trade union fraternity, any resolution would involve the preservation of the dignity of workers which has of late been challenged on a number of fronts.

One major concern which the world is facing today is the growing wealth divide. Despite the global economy having grown tremendously since the end of the cold war, a vast majority of the people in this world have not seen the benefits of this growth.

This problem is prevalent in Malaysia also and is exacerbated by the diminishing rights of workers. The right of workers to join a trade union of their choice is fraught with many difficulties and impediments. Employers and the Government authorities place many obstacles in the way of trade unions seeking to represent workers to bargain on wages and benefits. Some claims sit for years at the offices of the Ministry of Human Resources without being dealt with appropriately. This time-lag allows for an abuse of union activists as well as those employees seeking to exercise their constitutional right of trade union representation.

The right to institute industrial action in the form of picketing and strikes have been challenged in the most brutal ways by employers. We have seen instances of workers being dismissed for taking industrial action - a right which is supposed to be protected under the law. Such oppressive measures cannot be left unchallenged and it is now time for the workers in this country to make a concerted effort to challenge any form of tyranny exhibited by employers.

It must come to be realized that it is the common workers which contributes to the development of any economy and there is a legitimate right for workers to demand for fair treatment and protection of their dignity. This should be safeguarded by law and the authorities entrusted to serve as the gatekeepers should not flinch in the exercise of their duties.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all workers of this country a very Happy New Year and let us make the year 2008 a year where we strive to better the lot of workers and to protect their dignity.

Syed Shahir bin Syed Mohamud

President

PETALING JAYA: Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud sekali lagi dipilih sebagai Presiden Kongres Kesatuan Sekerja Malaysia (MTUC) pada Persidangan Perwakilan ke-37 kesatuan itu di sini hari ini.

Bekas guru itu berjaya mempertahankan kerusinya selepas menewaskan pencabarnya, Shafie BP. Mamal.

Syed Shahir mendapat 278 undi manakala Shafie pula memperoleh 235 undi sekali gus diberi kepercayaan untuk terus memimpin MTUC yang mempunyai keahlian seramai 550,000 orang.

Ini merupakan percubaan pertama Shafie untuk merebut kerusi Presiden selepas 13 tahun menjadi orang nombor dua MTUC tetapi gagal berbuat demikian.

Sementara itu, G. Rajasekaran yang menjadi Setiausaha Agung MTUC selama 16 tahun juga sekali lagi diberi kepercayaan untuk menduduki jawatan tersebut.

Beliau mendapat 257 undi manakala pencabarnya, Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid memperoleh 255 undi.

Bagi jawatan Timbalan Presiden MTUC pula, Mohd. Khalid Atan memperoleh undi tertinggi iaitu sebanyak 301 manakala P. Maniam (214).

Selain ketiga-tiga jawatan itu, turut mendapat perebutan ialah kerusi Naib Presiden, Timbalan Setiausaha Agung dan Setiausaha dan Timbalan Setiausaha Kewangan.

Apa yang menarik, hampir kesemua jawatan yang dipertandingkan dimenangi oleh `kumpulan’ Shafie.

Kira-kira 600 perwakilan dari 144 kesatuan sekerja menghadiri persidangan itu dan mereka yang layak mengundi ialah seramai 526 orang.

Shafie ketika ditemui berkata, beliau tidak sedih dengan kekalahannya itu dan berasa gembira apabila pasukannya memenangi hampir kesemua jawatan yang dipertandingkan.

“Saya hormati keputusan perwakilan. Sudah 34 tahun saya bersama kesatuan sekerja dan akan terus menyumbang kepada MTUC sebagai ahlinya,’’ kata beliau.- Utusan

Muda Mohd Noor (Malaysiakini)

Presiden MTUC Syed Shahir Mohamud berkata beliau mungkin sukar menjalankan tugasnya memimpin kongres tersebut dengan berkesan kerana sebahagian besar jawatankuasa barunya dimenangi oleh kumpulan yang tidak sealiran dengannya.

Beliau mengakui bahawa ramai ‘orang-orangnya’ gagal mendapat tempat dalam pemilihan kongres itu yang berlangsung hari ini.

Syed Shahir berjaya mengekalkan jawatan presiden dengan menewaskan pencabarnya, Mohd Shafie BP Mammal yang sebelum ini merupakan timbalan presiden MTUC.

Syed Shahir mendapat 278 undi untuk menewaskan pencabarnya Mohd Shafie BP Mammal dengan majoriti 43 undi.

Beliau menegaskan demikian ketika ditemui di luar Dewan Sivik MPPJ - tempat persidangan MTUC kali ini - selepas pengerusi persidangan kali ini, J Ganesan Murty, mengumum keputusan pemilihan kali ini pada kira-kira jam 7.25 malam.

Namun begitu, sebahagian besar jawatan penting MTUC kali ini dimenangi oleh calon-calon dari kumpulan Mohd Shafie yang turut bergabung dengan Setiausaha Agung MUTC, G Rajasekaran.

Pentingkan pekerja

Rajasekaran pula berjaya mengekalkan jawatan setiausaha agung dengan majoriti tipis empat undi sahaja, untuk menewaskan pencabarnya Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid.

Bagaimanapun, Syed Shahir meminta semua pihak supaya bersatu dan terus bekerja untuk kepentingan golongan pekerja.

Menurut senarai pemenang kali ini, 12 daripada 15 calon yang terpilih memegang jawatan penting MTUC kali ini merupakan dari kumpulan pencabarnya, Mohd Shafie yang bekerjasama dengan kumpulan Rajasekaran.

Calon-calon dari kumpulan Syed Shahir yang tewas kali ini ialah calon jawatan timbalan presiden, Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid bagi jawatan setiausaha agung, J Solomon (jawatan timbalan setiausaha) dan juga P Maniam (jawatan timbalan presiden).

Syed Shahir menghadapi saingan hebat kali ini berikutan wujudnya pihak dalam MTUC yang tidak sehaluan dengan cara kepimpinan beliau yang dikatakan keras sentiasa mengambil pendekatan keras terhadap kerajaan, dalam memperjuangkan isu gaji minima dan pemberian COLA pada kakitangan swasta.

MTUC di bawah kepimpinan beliau juga juga didakwa lebih cenderung kepada pembangkang dalam memperjuangkan isu-isu pekerja.

Syed Jaymal Zahiid (Malaysiakini)

Fresh from retaining his position as the Malaysian Trades Unions Congress president, Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud today said that there was no rivalry between him and his senior officers in the union.

He added that the union’s new office bearers elected at the election yesterday shared a united vision to continue to fight for workers’ rights in this country.

“I don’t see any rivalry. I have worked with them for a long time and will continue to do so,” he said when asked to comment on yesterday’s polling that saw majority of the senior posts slipping into his rival’s hands.

“We have a lot of challenges ahead of us. There will be more burden on the MTUC in our fight and everyone must be focused on the battlefront rather than on our differences.” said Shahrir.

Incumbent Syed Shahir however managed to retain his post despite being pitted against a formidable rival.

Many had expected his contender, National Union of Telekom Employees president Mohd Shafie BP Mammal to win after he pledged allegiance with veteran MTUC secretary-general G Rajasekaran.

Shahrir, in the last elections three years ago, ended long-time MTUC leader Zainal Rampak’s 18-year career in the country’s biggest workers’ umbrella body by teaming up with Rajasekaran. Their relationship has soured since then.

The rivalry between Syed Shahir and Rajasekaran is said to have stemmed from their ideological differences - Syed Shahir preferring a more “aggressive” method when tackling workers’ rights issues compared to Rajasekaran’s “moderate” approach.

Rajasekaran, who has held the secretary-general post for 14 years, had a close shave in yesterday’s election by winning with a razor-thin margin of only four votes against Shahrir’s ally, Club Workers Union president Abdullah Sani.

The government’s duty

Discarding the rivalry matter, Syed Shahir said that MTUC would continue to abide by the dialogue philosophy pertaining to solving disputes between employers and their workers.

“There will always be cooperation between MTUC, employers and the government when it comes to solving problems on workers’ issues.

“But before we talk of cooperation, every party involved must first respect the rights of all in order to avoid stagnancy when solving disputes between workers and employers.” stressed Syed Shahir.

He also said that the government in particular must perform its duty as an entity granted with powers to ensure that the welfare of the workers are always protected.

“Just because they are the government doesn’t mean that they can do anything. They are entrusted by the people, whom majority are workers, to guarantee that workers get a better life, not the other way around.” he said.

KEJOHANAN BOWLING ANGKATAN MUDA KEADILAN SELANGOR
PIALA SYED SHAHIR PUSINGAN 1 TAHUN 2008

TARIKH : 6 JANUARI, 2008 (AHAD)

MASA : 9.45 PAGI

TEMPAT: THE SUMMIT USJ

ANJURAN ANGKATAN MUDA KEADILAN BAHAGIAN KELANA JAYA

PERTANYAAN / PENGESAHAN:
SDR. FAISAL MUSTAFFA : 019-223 2002
E-MEL : bhg_kjaya@yahoo.com
FAX : 03-7980 2697

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