This year's Labour Day event organised by the Malaysian Trades Union
Congress (MTUC) will, for the first time, be celebrated outdoors and at
night, said its president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud.
The big event, riding on the theme 'Globalisation Eroding Workers' Rights', will take place at Dataran Merdeka, at 9pm on April 30. It will feature a performance by a North Port (Klang) band.
Among the reasons for holding this outdoors is to create public awareness of the plight and rights of workers, and to gauge support for MTUC, the umbrella body for more than 230 private sector trade unions in the major industries.
"We hope to gather as many workers as we can. That, I think, will give us some indication as to where we (the MTUC) stand now," said Syed Shahir.
This is the MTUC's first major event since Syed Shahir and his team wrested control from Zainal Rampak to start a three-term leadership. Zainal had held his post for almost two decades.
"We want to see the support from the general workers. Yes, we have our affiliates but every time we have our May Day event it is either in a hall or within a compound...a confined area," he told malaysiakini during an exclusive interview recently.
"Now with a bigger area right in the middle of the city, it would be interesting to see how many workers turn up at Dataran Merdeka. If it's only a handful, that would be an indication of something."
Syed Shahir, who recently completed his first 100 days in office, said the need to gauge workers' support is the next step for MTUC, since members had given the leaders a strong mandate to carry out changes and protect workers' rights.
"This is where we can find out if there is a strong commitment from the workers. If we see that they support this tradition for the betterment of all workers, we can then take it from there," he said.
During the 2002 May Day celebration, the MTUC was condemned by the pro-tem Parti Sosialis Malaysia for distancing itself from a peaceful rally attended by hundreds of workers and marginalised groups.
Critics singled out Zainal for 'selling out' on workers by holding the event in a posh hotel, reportedly stating that the MTUC will only participate if a police permit was granted.
The National Union of Plantation Workers and the National Union of the Teaching Profession were also chided for having sided with Zainal.
In that rally, about 20 people were arrested and placed in lock-ups overnight following a police crackdown.
The requirement for a police permit to assemble lawfully outdoors is an ongoing debate with social activists and human rights advocates arguing that citizens should be free to participate in a peaceful demonstration anywhere.
Consumer issues
On another front, the MTUC will organise a talk on water privatisation and healthcare financing on April 28.
Syed Shahir said the two issues will affect workers the most as they form the single largest group of consumers.
"Our consumer committee is involved in the campaign against water privatisation and is currently preparing for a one-day programme. It will also include the issue of healthcare financing that was recently announced."
A speaker from the Citizens Health Initiative and Monitoring Sustainability of Globalisation director Charles Santiago are expected to brief participants during the talk.
Syed Shahir said it was important for MTUC to get involved in issues affecting the livelihood of workers.
"Bottom line is... we cannot be apathetic towards consumer or environmental issues," he added.
The Coalition Against Water Privatisation, a grouping of 26 civil society organisations including the MTUC, had submitted protest memorandums to Parliament and the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia on Jan 17 and Feb 24 respectively.
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