Kamarozaman Abd Razak said the Trade Unions Act 1959, which prohibits such appointments, is outdated and needs to be amended in line with changing times.
In the teaching profession, graduate teachers start off in the DG41 scale and reach the highest grade of DG54 over a period of time as the promotions are time-based.
This leads them to higher positions faster than those in other services of the government.
“The issue of teachers in DG48 and above not being allowed to hold office is a longstanding issue and the matter has not been addressed by the government since 1959.
“Most other acts have been amended while the Trade Unions Act 1959 has remained unchanged,” Kamarozaman told FMT.
He said the government needed to amend this act immediately to allow the affected teachers to continue holding the posts.
However, he added, those above the DG54 pay scale, who are classified as Jusa officers (premium positions), should not be allowed to continue in the union as they are already in decision-making roles.
Describing his personal experience, Kamarozaman said he faced problems while holding the post of the NUTP president when he was in the DG48 category a few years back.
“I was working with the district education office then. The Public Service Department (JPA) and the Department of Trade Union Affairs insisted that I, and a few other officials, should resign from our union posts.
“But we met the chief secretary to the government and JPA who allowed us to continue holding the positions until the next election was held last year,” he said.
Kamarozaman added that the chief secretary had the authority to allow those in grades DG48 to DG54 (to remain in the union) by issuing letters individually upon appeal.
“I also urge MPs to push the government to amend the outdated act immediately in order to safeguard the welfare of workers, in accordance with Protocol 29 of the International Labour Organization.”
Earlier, FMT had reported that most of the NUTP office-bearers at the national level were in the DG48 scale and above.