Unions accuse Subramaniam of making 'false report'

Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam has come under fire from two union bodies - the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) and National Union of Bank Employees (Nube) - for making a "false report" to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) two years ago.

PKR's Kuala Langat MP Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid, who conducted a press conference on behalf of MTUC at the Parliament lobby today, accused Subramaniam of making the inaccurate report pertaining to Nube's court case against the Director-General of Trade Unions (DGTU).

On Nov 7, the High Court dismissed Nube's attempt to challenge the DGTU's registration of an in-house union for Maybank.

However, MTUC president Khalid Atan (left) said in a statement distributed in Parliament today that Subramaniam had reported to the ILO that the court decided in favour of the DGTU on Oct 5, 2011 itself, two years before the actual decision was made.

Subramaniam was human resources minister at the time he was accused of making the false report to the ILO.
Abdullah Sani said Pakatan Rakyat MPs would seek to refer Subramaniam, who is also MIC deputy president, to the parliamentary labour caucus for his alleged action.
Ministry waiting for case to be over

They also stated NUBE's intention to appeal the High Court decision and vowed to restrict the DGTU from registering any new union bodies until the appeal process is over.

Subramaniam's statement to the ILO was in the form of a government reply to the organisation in response to a complaint filed by MTUC with the ILO in April 2011.

In Paragraph 868 of the ILO report, the government was cited as saying that "the decision of the DGTU to register MAYNEU was challenged in the High Court, and the court has decided that the registration is valid and within the power of the DGTU".

Deputy Human Resources Minister Ismail Abd Muttalib later told the Parliament that the ministry would look into the allegation, while saying that he was not at the ministry when the alleged false reporting took place.
In a press release late this evening, the human resources ministry said that it had replied to the ILO with the following:
""The decision of the director-general of trade unions to register MAYNEU is currently being challenged in the High Court and the trial has commenced.

"Thus, we are of the view that we should not give any remarks, opinions or comments until the case are finally disposed off."