Remembering prominent trade unionists who died in 2024

 

From A Balasubramaniam

Workers across the country, trade unions and the MTUC were deeply saddened by the loss of prominent trade unionists in 2024. Their contributions and dedication to the labour movement will be remembered and cherished.

• Zainal Rampak

Zainal Rampak, whom I had the privilege of knowing since 1982, passed away on July 4, 2024, at the age of 84. He served as the president of MTUC from 1986 to 2004. Under his leadership, MTUC was regarded as dynamic and well-respected.

Zainal was a mentor to many unionists. He served as the general secretary of the Transport Workers Union for many years until his last day. Additionally, he was a two-term senator and was elected to the ILO governing body, a position of great prestige.

From 2001 to 2009, he chaired the International Transport Workers Asia Pacific Region. He played a pivotal role in establishing the Workers Institute of Technology (WIT). Even in his final days, he worked tirelessly to resolve internal conflicts within MTUC.

• Matkar Siwang

Matkar Siwang, who was the elected deputy president of MTUC, passed away on Sept 24, 2024. He also served as an elected vice-president of MTUC and chaired the Occupational Health and Safety Committee for six years.

Matkar was the president of the Food Industry Employees Union from 2016 until his passing. He and I worked closely together, meeting regularly to discuss current affairs and union matters.

• Peter Kandiah

Peter Kandiah, a former sub-editor of The Star, passed away on Sept 17, 2024, at the age of 74. He served as the deputy general secretary of the National Union of Journalists Peninsular Malaysia (NUJ) from 1986 to 1988 and was an MTUC industrial relations practitioner, representing workers at the industrial and labour courts for many years.

His expertise and commitment were invaluable to the trade union movement.

• A Sivananthan

A Sivananthan passed away on May 22, 2024. He was the executive secretary of the Selangor Textiles Workers Union from the 1980s to 2007 and served as the elected financial secretary of MTUC from 1999 to 2006.

Sivananthan possessed extensive knowledge of labour laws and was a trusted representative for workers at the industrial and labour courts.

He was one of the few trade unionists with vast expertise in Socso matters. He also assisted many unions with organising and collective agreements.

On a personal note, I often sought advice from Siva and Peter on industrial court cases, and both were always helpful to me and other industrial relations practitioners.

The passing of these respectable, knowledgeable, and committed leaders is a great loss to workers and trade unions. They leave behind a legacy of unwavering dedication, integrity, and passion for justice in the workplace.

Personally, their mentorship, camaraderie, and invaluable wisdom have shaped my own journey in the labour movement. Their absence is deeply felt, but their contributions will inspire generations to come. - FMT

A Balasubramaniam is a vice-president of MTUC and an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.