Hindraf slams labour law amendments

Calling it fuedal labour policies, Hindraf's chief P Waythamoorthy claims that the changes will revive the colonial system.

By Athi Sankar

GEORGE TOWN: Hindraf Makkal Sakti has joined the growing chorus against the amendments to the Employment Act 1955, calling on the Putrajaya administration to scrap the changes.

Hindraf Makkal Sakti supremo P Waythamoorthy insisted that the changes would revive the dismantled colonial system in which indentured labourers were brought in from India and exploited in this country to benefit the ruling class.

The London-based leader described the amendments as feudal labour policies in which the rich would mercilessly exploit the working class to get richer.

He dismissed the government’s claim that the changes would reform the labour system, pointing out that the changes were pro-capitalist policies designed to benefit the ruling elites and their rich cronies.

“The working class will remain as the downtrodden society. The government should scrap the amendments and introduce liberal policies for the workforce.

“Amendments should be made to strengthen workers’ rights, interests and benefits, not to deprive them,” Waythamoorthy told FMT.

Critics, especially trade unionists, have claimed that the labour law amendments would exploit workers and benefit political cronies.

They claimed that amendments would promote outsourcing of workers to middlemen without providing any protection for the workers.

Waythamoorthy said the outsourcing formula was similar to issuing taxi permits to Umno and other Barisan Nasional cronies, in which the working class taxi operators benefit little.

‘Return to slavery’

Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam said that the ministry had gone through rigorous consultation with various parties, including workers’ representative the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC).

He defended the amendments, saying that it was not intended to promote or institutionalise contractors for labour.

He said that it was to ensure workers’ rights were protected when all outsource agents were registered and monitored.

But union groups called the amendments a “return to slavery”, “anti-worker” and “anti-union”.

MTUC had staged a picket outside Parliament and would be organising a nationwide picket against the amendments today.

Stressing on the current workers uprising worldwide against capitalist exploitation, Waythamoorthy called on Putrajaya to do away with the amendments.

“Or else, Malaysian protests against the amendments will turn into a global anti-capitalist movement similar to current demonstrations in America and elsewhere,” he warned.