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The withdrawal will be reviewed after the end of the month.
<p>MTUC’s main bane is the proposal in the bill to limit the award given
to workers who are wrongfully dismissed to not more than 24 months’ salary
as compensation.</p>
<p>Its secretary-general, G. Rajasekaran, said the congress had voiced its opposition
to this proposal in several meetings with Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri
Fong Chan Onn and other ministry officials during the past three years.</p>
<p>“When the bill was drafted in July, the clause was included and we again
met with the minister to voice our objection and put down our protest in a letter
to the ministry on Aug 6.”</p>
<p>However, when the bill was tabled, this clause was still included, he said.</p>
<p>“If this is how tripartition works here, then it has no meaning.”</p>
<p>Rajasekaran said Fong’s statement that the MTUC had agreed to the amendments
was not true.</p>
<p>“Why go through discussions when, at the end of the day, you do what you
like?” he asked.</p>
<p>Among the tripartite bodies that MTUC is part of are the Industrial Court Panel,
the Social Security Board, the Human Resources Development Board, the National
Institute of Occupational and Health, the Employees Provident Fund Board, the
Social Appellate Board, the Human Resource Development Fund, the National Productivity
Corporation and the National Labour Advisory Council.</p>
<p>When tabling the bill for second reading, Fong said the amendment will act
as a guide to the Industrial Court in making consistent decisions on cases of
wrongfully dismissed workers.</p>
<p>He said the provision limiting back pay had been implemented since the Practice
Note No. 1/1987 was introduced in the Industrial Court and the current amendment
is to clarify further the Practice Note.
Address: Wisma MTUC,10-5, Jalan USJ 9/5T, 47620 Subang Jaya,Selangor | Tel: 03-80242953 | Fax: 03-80243225 | Email: sgmtuc@gmail.com.com