They had planned to hold the picket over unanswered questions on alleged salary increments granted to three Suhakam deputy secretaries, their allegedly different performance assessment system, and the alleged exclusion of staff from the new public service remuneration system (SSPA).
“We decided to postpone the picket after Cuepacs president Adnan Mat informed me earlier this morning that they (Cuepacs) will be intervening and raising the employees’ concerns with Suhakam,” Suhakam interim union president Elza Nadiah Shaik Sulaiman said.
Adnan confirmed the matter when contacted by FMT.
Elza, who was speaking to reporters outside Suhakam’s headquarters at Menara TH Perdana, said Suhakam employees had doubts about joining the picket after an internal memo issued by Suhakam secretary Altaf Deviyati yesterday.
In the memo sighted by FMT, employees were told not to participate in any action that could affect Suhakam’s mission or disrupt its “positive work environment”.
Elza said the directive had disrupted efforts to form an employees union at Suhakam.
Several police officers were present on site to monitor the planned picket. Also present was Malaysian Trades Union Congress secretary-general Kamarul Baharin Mansor.
Yesterday, the Labour Solidarity and Learning Resources Association urged the government to intervene in the matter, saying Suhakam needed more budgetary support to ensure that employees received the same salary and benefits as those under the new SSPA.
Its secretary-general, Gopal Kishnam Nadesan, also said that the association supported the establishment of a union by Suhakam employees.
In response, Suhakam said it was still studying the adaptability of the government’s new emolument scheme.
The commission said this was in line with its overall organisational restructuring programme which began last year.
Suhakam also said it was open to discussion and remained “unwavering in our commitment to fostering a positive, collaborative work environment”.
In a statement, Cuepacs thanked the affected Suhakam staff for agreeing not to picket, expressing its belief that such actions were not a priority at this juncture.
Its president Adnan Mat said he was confident the government would resolve the issue as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had great concern for the welfare of workers.
“Cuepacs asks the Suhakam chairman (Hishamudin Yunus) and Prime Minister’s Department to allow open negotiations to be held immediately to resolve the issue and reach a consensus.
“Cuepacs also urges all Suhakam staff to continue serving as usual in a professional manner, while negotiations are being held.”