Latest news with #JSolomon
Borneo Post
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
JSC defends MTUC authority amid claims of leadership void
J Solomon – Photo via Facebook KUCHING (June 8): The Joint Special Committee (JSC) has asserted its position as the legitimate leadership of the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC), rejecting claims by the Human Resources Minister that the congress lacks leadership. JSC chairman J Solomon stated that the minister must be held accountable for Malaysia's failure to send a complete workers' delegation to the 113th International Labour Conference (ILC), a significant event under the International Labour Organisation (ILO). 'MTUC is the most widely represented organisation of workers in Malaysia,' said Solomon. 'As required by the ILO Constitution, MTUC is responsible for nominating the workers' delegation whilst the minister's role is to submit the names provided by MTUC,' he said in a statement yesterday. He stressed that the minister had no authority to interfere in MTUC's internal affairs, particularly as the organisation is already in in the process of holding elections scheduled for August 2 and 3. Solomon added that Malaysia's credibility at the ILO is at stake, especially since Malaysia is shortlisted for discussions on the implementation of Convention 98, which relates to workers' rights and anti-union discrimination. He further charged that the minister had failed to ensure that Malaysian workers representatives were registered at the ILC, adding that the entire conduct of the minister was an attempt to prevent criticism over Malaysia's labour laws shortcomings from being aired at the international stage. 'If the minister was sincere in wanting to ensure that Malaysian workers are to be represented at the ILC, he would have reached out to the JSC after receiving the ILO invitation,' Solomon said. 'Instead, the minister chose to do nothing but offer excuses, and it is now clear that he is misusing the entire government machinery including the Attorney General's Chambers to 'cover his mischief',' he added. 'Malaysia needs a strong and full tripartite representation at the ILC. Yet, instead of focusing on urgent labour reforms, the minister seems to be denying MTUC its rightful place in the ILC.'
Free Malaysia Today
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
MTUC challenges ministry's stand on ILO conference representation
MTUC joint special committee chairman J Solomon said the congress's internal election process is under way and progressing well. PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has criticised the human resources ministry after it said the non-representation of workers at the recently concluded International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva was caused by the absence of legitimate leadership in MTUC. In a statement, MTUC alleged the ministry was trying to 'mislead the public'. 'It is undisputed that the current leadership of MTUC is the joint special committee,' said J Solomon, the chairman of the committee. He clarified that MTUC's internal election process — scheduled for Aug 2 and 3, 2025 — is under way and progressing well. The nation's largest labour union has effectively been without a working committee after a High Court ruling in 2023 declared the triennial election held a year earlier was null and void, triggering an extended internal dispute. In February, the Court of Appeal consented to an agreement to set up a joint special committee to run MTUC and hold a fresh election within 90 days. MTUC will hold its triennial election at a special delegates conference in early August to resolve the impasse.
Free Malaysia Today
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Govt denies blocking MTUC from ILC participation, cites internal dispute
The human resources ministry has urged MTUC to expedite its re-election to restore stability to the trade union movement and ensure Malaysia's full participation in the ILC next year. (File pic) PETALING JAYA : The human resources ministry has dismissed claims that the government blocked the participation of labour representatives to the now-concluded 2025 International Labour Conference (ILC). The ministry said the non-representation of workers at the conference held in Geneva was caused by the absence of legitimate leadership in the Malaysian Trade Unions Congress (MTUC), the country's largest trade union umbrella organisation. 'In February, the Court of Appeal ordered MTUC to conduct a re-election of its leadership within 90 days under the watch of a joint special committee,' it said in a statement today. 'This election was later postponed to August, leaving MTUC without a legitimate leadership to represent workers in any official platform.' The ministry stressed that the selection of the Malaysian delegation to the ILC was made transparently under the guidelines of the International Labour Organization, after seeking advice from the Attorney-General's Chambers. It also urged MTUC to expedite its re-election to restore stability to the trade union movement and ensure Malaysia's full participation in the ILC next year. On June 4, Malaysiakini reported that the joint special committee's chairman, J Solomon, denied knowledge of needing to hold an election within three months of the committee's formation. He had earlier criticised the government for failing to register labour delegates for the ILC.
Borneo Post
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Court-backed JSC has authority over MTUC, chairman reaffirms
Solomon explains that the JSC was established through a Consent Order of the Court of Appeal, which authorised it to conduct the SDC and oversee MTUC affairs within a set timeframe. – Photo via Facebook KUCHING (June 5): Recent claims suggesting that the Joint Special Committee (JSC) lacks the authority to manage the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) are misleading and contradict the Court of Appeal's explicit mandate, said JSC chairman J Solomon. He explained that the JSC was established through a Consent Order of the Court of Appeal, which authorised it to conduct the Special Delegates Conference (SDC) and oversee MTUC affairs within a set timeframe. 'The JSC has already fixed the date for the SDC and issued circulars to affiliated unions,' Solomon said in a statement today. He added that the Ministry of Human Resources (MoHR) had acknowledged the JSC's role by officially inviting its members to attend the Labour Day celebrations organised by the government, further recognising the JSC's legitimacy and responsibility in managing MTUC's affairs. Solomon also criticised MoHR for refusing to submit the JSC-nominated names of Workers' Representatives to the International Labour Conference (ILC), calling the action 'a deliberate act of mischief'. He stressed that the Court Order had resolved the internal crisis within MTUC and clearly mandated the JSC to manage its administration. Solomon further alleged that MoHR withheld the workers' representative list from the ILC to avoid scrutiny over the Minister's actions, which he claimed were contrary to Convention 98 regarding interference in collective bargaining process and alleged collusion with employers. 'For the first time since becoming a member of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 1957, Malaysian workers were not represented at the ILO conference,' he said. He claimed the MoHR's refusal to submit the names was an attempt to prevent discussion about the Minister's conduct at the ILC. 'It is this agenda of MoHR which resulted in the workers of Malaysia not being represented at the ILC,' he added. Solomon advised individuals and parties against making statements in blind support of the MoHR Minister as such remarks could mislead workers and stakeholders and potentially lead to contempt of court. MTUC Sarawak has since urged the JSC to resolve the leadership impasse and refrain from issuing statements that could create confusion. It reaffirmed that the JCS had been granted a specific three-month mandate to conduct the MTUC SDC. J Solomon Joint Special Committee MTUC
Free Malaysia Today
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
August elections to end MTUC's 3-year leadership tussle
The Malaysian Trades Union Congress had been embroiled in a leadership dispute since a High Court ruling in 2023 declared the triennial elections held in 2022 null and void. PETALING JAYA : After a three-year leadership tussle, the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) will hold its triennial elections at a special delegates conference in early August to resolve the impasse. The nation's largest labour centre had effectively been without a working committee after a High Court ruling in 2023 declared the triennial elections held a year earlier as null and void. Since then, it had been embroiled in a leadership dispute. In February, the Court of Appeal heard a challenge by MTUC president Effendi Abdul Ghani against his secretary-general, Kamarul Baharin Mansor, both of whose elections were declared null and void in 2023. It consented to a mutual agreement to set up a joint special committee to run MTUC and hold fresh elections within 90 days. According to a notice from committee head J Solomon, a former MTUC secretary-general, elections will be held during the two-day conference beginning on Aug 2 to select 19 office bearers for the 2025–2027 term. The positions include president and deputy president, 13 vice-presidents, the secretary-general and deputy secretary-general, and the finance secretary and deputy finance secretary. The vice-presidents will comprise seven from the private sector and three each from the public sector, local authorities and statutory bodies. About 500 delegates from private and government sector unions are expected to vote in the August elections. The court had given the committee 90 days to conduct the elections as per MTUC's constitution with a budget of RM300,000. The committee must also submit a report and financial accounts to the incoming office bearers 14 days after the elections. In 2023, the Shah Alam High Court had declared the elections held a year earlier as null and void following an application by a former MTUC president, Halim Mansor, citing actions that were ultra vires the congress's constitution. Subsequently, the court allowed a conditional stay of execution, which made it clear that MTUC officials should only handle its daily operational matters and refrain from making policy decisions and statements or attend meetings in any of their capacities. Effendi and Kamarul were later embroiled in another legal matter on who was the rightful president of MTUC. This led to the Court of Appeal ordering the setting up of the joint special committee.
