The National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (Nufam) said Saravanan was using unlawful tactics and unconstitutional threats against those who voice out the grievances of workers.
The Nufam secretariat said a union’s role was to highlight working conditions and problems faced by the workers in this country and it was Saravanan’s duty to investigate these complaints, not threaten union leaders.
“Unions have the right to raise issues concerning workers. Why is the minister taking it so personally? Does he not want to find out the truth or is he turning a blind eye to the matter?
“We implore the minister to immediately cease such threats and intimidation against any union leaders under the rule of law,” it said.
Yesterday, J Solomon, general secretary of the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE), was summoned by the police after Saravanan lodged a report against him for alleged slander and for misleading the public.
Solomon said the police report against his statement criticising the suspension of the workers’ housing regulation was a “blatant tactic to intimidate workers’ unions”.
He clarified that NUBE was pointing out the minister’s failure to take into account that employers had been given adequate time to comply with the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990 (Act 446).
Solomon also said Saravanan or his officials should have contacted NUBE for clarification before deciding to lodge a police report.
Seputeh MP Teresa Kok also came out in defence of the trade unionist and said Saravanan should view the unions as “partners and not foes”, urging him to retract his police report.
“If the trade union leader has accused the human resources minister wrongly, the minister should rebut him in the media or hold a dialogue session with him and other trade union leaders to explain his ministry’s position further.
“Lodging a police report is indeed bizarre.”
Kok said the police complaint was “counter productive” and said both parties should instead work together and hold dialogue sessions to facilitate job creation and establish welfare and retraining programmes.